Fans who attended the final KISS show at Madison Square Garden on December 2 in New York City may have been happy to see the band one last time but were ultimately left disappointed after not receiving a limited edition Golden Ticket souvenir handed out to a few lucky concertgoers exiting the venue.
Each seat at the final show of the band’s End of the Road Tour was given a light-up wristband to wear during the show. Along with an extensive line of merchandise for purchase during the concert, later in the evening, the crowd was also given something special as they left MSG when employees dispensed the KISS collectible to patrons at select exits, but many fans never received their parting gift from the band.
“After the show Saturday fans were supposed to be handed a box containing a golden ticket commemorating the show,” wrote fan Ron Ivanjack. “It was a surprise so no one knew to look for them and security pushed people out before being able to get it. Most of us had no idea it was a thing until Sunday.”
The black box featured the KISS logo emblazoned in gold, signifying the band’s 50th anniversary, and included a weighty golden ticket with a stand commemorating the band’s final show, along with a certificate of authenticity, featuring the autopen autographs of each band member on the back.
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“To clarify, there were not enough commemorative Golden Tickets available for everyone at the venue, they were handed out randomly as people exited,” read a statement to fans who reached out about the missing Golden Tickets. “Unfortunately, we do not have any more to distribute at this time. Apologies for the inconvenience!”
A petition at Change.org was also started urging the band, management, and MSG to correct the miscalculation and the distribution of the Golden Tickets to fans who attended the final show at Madison Square Garden.
“Much to our disappointment, we did not receive golden tickets, a coveted token of recognition for die-hard fans,” wrote John S, who started the petition. “We believe that these golden tickets should be issued to those who were present at the MSG show.”
The petition is urging the band’s co-founding members Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, MSG CEO James L. Dolan, and KISS manager Doc McGhee to rectify the situation by issuing golden tickets to verified attendees of the MSG show. “By doing so, they would not only honor their most loyal fans but also uphold their reputation as a band that values its audience,” read the petition statement.
The statement continued, “The distribution of these golden tickets is more than just a symbolic gesture; it’s an acknowledgment of our unwavering support and dedication towards KISS. It’s estimated that thousands of fans like us left the concert without this token (source: fan forums and social media discussions). This has led to widespread disappointment within the fan community.”
Some fans, including many who traveled from out of state to New York for the show, said the distribution of the Golden Tickets was disorganized and that some concertgoers picked up more than one, and some were already being sold on eBay for hundreds and thousands of dollars.
“How come fans like me and my wife came from Houston Texas to the end of the road concert 12/2/23 didn’t get a golden ticket we pay $2000 for those tickets been a fan for 49-50 [years],” wrote Ralph Ortiz on Twitter. “KISS need to make it right for the fans that [were] there and not to sell but to have as [fans].”
The Golden Tickets were initially being sold at PPV.com for $350 during the live pay-per-view broadcast of the band’s final concert. On December 4, PPV made the Golden Tickets available again for purchase during the replay of the band’s final show.
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“If you missed out on getting the [KISS End of the Road Tour] Golden Ticket, we have more available,” reads the PPV.com post from December 4. “Watch the replay on PPV.com and purchase yours. Golden Tickets are not available for purchase on any [PPV] apps, only through a web browser.”
Within the week before the band’s final two concerts at MSG, which started on December 1, a series of events throughout New York City allowed fans to pick up more limited edition items commemorating KISS’ 50-year history and farewell tour. The KISS NYC Takeover included special Rangers-KISS merchandise at a recent hockey game against the Detroit Red Wings on November 29.
A series of KISS-branded digital ads were also on display throughout Penn Station, along with collectible Metro Cards, which were also available for purchase at the Herald Square train station.
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On November 30, New York City Mayor Eric Adams declared November 30 KISS Day in the city. Later that night, a multimedia music-to-light show was also presented by the Empire State Building from dusk through 2 a.m. ET, set to “Rock and Roll All Nite.”
At the end of their show, KISS also revealed the new era of the band after retiring from touring. After ending their physical live performances after 50 years, KISS will continue in digital form as avatars.
In partnership with the Swedish entertainment company Pophouse Entertainment Group, which previously produced avatar concerts for ABBA in 2022, and the George Lucas-founded visual effects company Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), each member of KISS’ facial expressions and body movements while performing were captured digitally for their upcoming shows.
American Songwriter reached out to KISS and MSG for comment.
Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for SiriusXM
