'We were standing there in disbelief' - Family's nightmare after paying almost £300 each for VIP Ne-Yo tickets

A concert-goer expecting a VIP experience says she instead got a view blocked by stage equipment, a spot surrounded by 'hot sweaty people' and a fight.

Sarah Taylor said her trip to watch Ne-Yo in Manchester has left her not wanting to come back to the the city after she forked out almost £300 for VIP tickets at the Bowlers Exhibition Centre last Wednesday for a gig she had spent months looking forward to. The 30-year-old had bought the tickets for herself, mum Jane Mincher, 59, and sister Emma Taylor, 32, as a late birthday present for her mum which did not live up to expectation.

The trio travelled from the Prestatyn area of Wales to the Trafford Park venue where they were promised queue jump, a private bar and a clear view from the front - none of which they say happenend.

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“It was just awful,” the stay-at-home mum said. “It has put me off coming to Manchester again for an event.”

Excited to see one of their favourite performers, they arrived at 5pm and went into the VIP section at 6pm, which they quickly discovered had a view blocked by stage equipment. They then paid £18 for the pleasure of three Strongbow Dark Fruits and were left in sweltering conditions until 9.30 when Ne-Yo finally came out - by which time they’d had enough.

“As we are standing there in shock we see all the people from general admission that paid less than us run to the front of the stage,” Sarah said. “We were standing there in disbelief thinking that should be us there, instead we were boxed off to the left hand side nowhere near the stage, nevermind the front!

“All we had was a big screen in front of us with lots of obstruction in the way, we couldn’t even