Ticketmaster is a global ticket sales and distribution company that provides ticket sales services for many of the world’s biggest live entertainment events. Founded in 1976, Ticketmaster has become a household name in event ticketing, with operations in 28 countries around the world. While Ticketmaster has a significant global footprint, local operations can change over time as business needs and venue partnerships evolve. This includes potential location closures or relocations. When it comes to Ticketmaster’s presence in a particular retail location, the specifics can change over the years.
About the Square Tallaght
To determine if Ticketmaster still has a retail presence in the Square Tallaght shopping centre in Dublin, Ireland, it is first useful to provide some background on the Square Tallaght itself. The Square Tallaght is one of Ireland’s largest shopping centres, located in Tallaght, Dublin 24. It first opened its doors in 1990 and has been a major retail hub for the local area ever since. The centre has over 100 shops, restaurants, and entertainment options spread across four floors. It is anchored by large department stores like Debenhams and Marks & Spencer. The Square Tallaght offers a mix of high street brands, specialty shops, cafes, a 13-screen cinema, and more. It draws in shoppers from around Dublin and is a bustling centre of activity.
Ticketmaster’s Past Presence in The Square Tallaght
In the past, Ticketmaster did have a retail location inside The Square Tallaght shopping centre. The Ticketmaster outlet was located on Level 3 of the centre, nearby the Debenhams anchor store. Customers could visit the Ticketmaster shop to browse upcoming events and purchase tickets in person. Having a physical Ticketmaster location in the mall provided local shopping centre patrons with a convenient option to stop in and get tickets for concerts, plays, sports events, and other entertainment happenings around Dublin and beyond. At one point, this Ticketmaster shop was one of around 11 Ticketmaster outlets located in shopping centres throughout Ireland. It served as an accessible in-person ticketing option for The Square Tallaght shoppers.
Changes to Ticketmaster’s Retail Locations
While Ticketmaster did previously operate a retail shop inside The Square Tallaght, this is no longer the case. Over the past decade, Ticketmaster has been making changes to its brick-and-mortar retail presence across Ireland and other countries. In many places, Ticketmaster has closed down smaller outlet locations as more and more ticket sales have shifted to online and mobile platforms.
This trend impacted the Ticketmaster shop at The Square Tallaght as well. Back around 2012, Ticketmaster shut down a number of its shopping centre locations across Ireland, including its retail outlet in The Square Tallaght. This closure was likely due to declining in-person ticket sales as consumer purchasing patterns shifted increasingly online. With less foot traffic coming through its doors, maintaining these smaller outlet shops was likely no longer profitable or sustainable.
So while Ticketmaster once had a notable retail presence at The Square Tallaght back in the 2000s and earlier, this physical shop is no longer in operation today.
Ticketmaster’s Current Operations in Ireland
Although Ticketmaster no longer has a physical retail store at The Square Tallaght, the company does still maintain significant operations across Ireland. After closing down many of its smaller outlets circa 2012, Ticketmaster consolidated its retail presence by keeping just four key locations open in Ireland.
These locations include:
- Ticketmaster outlet at the Stillorgan Shopping Centre in Dublin
- Ticketmaster outlet at Blanchardstown Centre in Dublin
- Ticketmaster outlet at the Crescent Shopping Centre in Limerick
- Ticketmaster outlet at Crown Square in Cork
So consumers still do have options to visit Ticketmaster shops in person at some major shopping centres around Ireland’s largest cities. However, the nearest retail outlet is now over 9km away from The Square Tallaght, at Blanchardstown Centre.
Beyond its remaining retail shops, Ticketmaster also has an operating headquarters located in Dublin, indicating its ongoing operations across Ireland. Additionally, Ticketmaster continues to sell tickets online to customers across Ireland for concerts, sports, and other live entertainment events taking place around the country.
While in-person retail outlets have reduced, the Ticketmaster brand remains active in Ireland through other channels.
Alternatives for Buying Tickets In-Person
Although there is no longer a Ticketmaster retail outlet right at The Square Tallaght, there are some other options nearby for customers who prefer to purchase event tickets in-person.
Some alternatives include:
- Checking for tickets at the Centre’s Guest Services desk – Sometimes tickets are available here for local events or attractions.
- Purchasing from the box office at the event venue itself – Many venues sell tickets directly on-site leading up to events.
- Visiting a Ticketmaster kiosk – While not at The Square Tallaght, there are Ticketmaster kiosks at some local Supervalu stores where tickets can be bought in-person.
- Going to bands’ or theatres’ box offices – For some concerts, plays, and other events, tickets may be sold directly at the venue or band’s box office.
So while not as convenient as having a Ticketmaster outlet right in the mall, there are still options around Tallaght for customers who want to buy tickets in-person vs. online. These provide alternatives now that the dedicated Ticketmaster shop has closed down.
The Future of Ticketmaster in The Square Tallaght
As consumer ticket buying increasingly goes digital, is there any chance Ticketmaster might open a retail outlet in The Square Tallaght again the future?
At the moment, this seems unlikely. Ticketmaster appears committed to consolidating its physical retail presence, rather than expanding back into more locations. Its strategic focus now seems to be on driving ticket sales through its websites and mobile apps. With online and mobile ticketing volumes continuing to grow year over year, the company is putting greater emphasis on digital sales channels compared to costly brick-and-mortar outlets.
However, there are a few scenarios where Ticketmaster potentially could return to The Square Tallaght someday:
- If a major shift back to in-person ticket buying occurs down the line, Ticketmaster may look to reopen more physical sales outlets.
- If Ticketmaster identifies The Square Tallaght as a highly strategic location, it could open a new outlet there to capture local shopper demand.
- If Ticketmaster wants to increase its brand visibility with a store, The Square Tallaght’s foot traffic could make it an appealing location.
Barring these types of situations, Ticketmaster is likely to remain an online-focused operation in the Tallaght and Dublin area for now. However, the entertainment landscape can always evolve, so the return of a Ticketmaster outlet to The Square Tallaght someday can’t be ruled out entirely.
Conclusion
In summary, Ticketmaster previously operated a retail ticket sales outlet inside The Square Tallaght shopping centre in the early 2000s and earlier. However, along with many other locations, this shop closed down around 2012 as Ticketmaster reduced its physical footprint across Ireland. The company consolidated to just four key retail outlets nationally as online and mobile ticketing grew. So there is no longer a Ticketmaster retail store operating at The Square Tallaght currently. While unlikely in the near future, it’s possible Ticketmaster could decide to open an outlet there again someday if strategic needs or consumer demands change. But for now, Ticketmaster is focused on online and mobile ticketing instead of physical shops in the Tallaght area. Customers can either purchase tickets electronically or visit venues’ box offices if wanting to make in-person purchases.