Bayern vs Ajax tickets sell out in minutes despite concerns over ‘hefty’ prices

Kenyans yearning to watch Bayern Munich face off with Ajax Amsterdam at Talanta Stadium were left scrambling for tickets when they went on sale on Thursday.

Bayern and Ajax will clash during the official opening of Talanta Stadium on January 5, 2027 and when the ticket portal opened on Thursday, there was a frustrating long queue that fans had to endure.

The portal opened at 6pm and those who logged in minutes later found themselves behind thousands of others and in a matter of minutes, the cheapest tickets had been sold out.

Tickets were going for Ksh2,500, Ksh3,500, Ksh5,000, Ksh15,000 and Ksh20,000. In just over an hour, all the tickets going for Ksh2,500, Ksh3,500 and Ksh5,000 had been sold out with only those retailing at Ksh15,000 and Ksh20,000 available.

It is not certain if it was the high interest among fans in the match or if there was hoarding given a number of politicians have already promised thousands of tickets to their supporters.

Kenyans voiced various concerns about the price of the tickets with some supporting it while others feel it is out of reach for the ordinary fan.

“One of the reasons why original European football jerseys don't get sold in Nairobi and why DStv has had to reduce prices is because the local football fan is used to buying match tickets for an average price of Ksh200,” sports journalist Eric Njiru wrote on X.

“Charging these fans Ksh2,500 for “a government event to open a taxpayer-funded stadium” feels like daylight robbery but that's the reality because it’s not cheap to bring a Ballon d'Or winner, World Class players and a former Man United player to East Africa.

“Just two weeks ago Kenyans complained of ‘exorbitant’ ticket prices for the match between the Harambee Stars and South Africa which was set at Ksh500 against the routine Ksh300.”

“The system is broken. Sh2,500 for a seat, but watch the same critics who complain about basic living costs suddenly find the budget for 90 minutes of European hype. Priorities are always loud,” said a fan online.

“Kenyans pay more for an irrelevant friendly than what we pay in Europe for real matches…no wonder Kenya has systemic corruption and an oppressive regime,” another one observed.

“The Talanta City is a taxpayer-funded stadium. Government used taxpayer money to bring Bayern and Ajax to Nairobi. Taxpayers are again going to pay huge ticket prices to make up the taxpayers’ money already used to bring them. Pure comedy.”

Others feel the pricing model is good as it keeps away fans who might want to come and cause trouble while the matchday experience also has to be put into consideration.

“Another form of crowd control is pricing. Let those who can afford attend and those who can't stay away,” posted another fan.

“However, the above is dependent on the overall stadium experience that fans get. Is it safe, access easy, do you get the seat you paid for and finally the event you came for, is it worth it.

“Kenyans attend events where they pay those sums so I don't think it should be an issue. We once paid 30k for a concert only to be rained on and left with mud on our feet while others lost phones and valuables.

“Such should not happen then over time, Kenyans will get used to these prices and start coming. Maybe we may now attract the right fans and not the goons who bring violence to games.”

Besides the remaining tickets, which are retailing at Ksh15,000 and Ksh20,000, there are also more costly Level 3, Gold, Platinum and Skyboxes which are yet to go on sale.