How much would you pay to have a permanent seat at an historic London venue, a stone’s throw from the Royal Family’s box, to enjoy some of the world’s greatest productions?
Clearly, the almost-£3m ($4m/€3.5m) asking price for a ‘magnificent 12-seat Grand Tier box’ at the Royal Albert Hall is too much, as it has been on the market since 2017.
The Grand Tier box is listed on luxury property agents Harrods Estates, and is located on the eastern side of the auditorium. It is near numerous bars and restaurants, allowing for the owner to ‘entertain’ their ‘guests in style’ according to the property posting.
It is listed for £2.75m with the additional fees on top.
Harrods’ listing reads: “A very rare opportunity to purchase a magnificent 12-seat Grand Tier box in the world’s most prestigious concert hall.
“Seatholders are entitled access to their seats for all Ordinary lettings, which amount to approximately two thirds of the performances in the Hall in any 12-month period.”
The Royal Albert Hall was opened by Queen Victoria in 1871 and is named after husband, Prince Albert, who had died six years before the venue’s opening.
It can seat 5,272 people and holds performances from international artists and performers of all genres, as well as the Proms, which has been held at the Hall since 1941.
There are some 1,276 ‘permanent’ seats in the Hall, owned by private individuals and corporates, and are located in both boxes and the stalls.
At present, there are also three stalls locations on offer, ranging from £280,000 to £300,000 (which appears to have since been sold), as well as a five-seat box for a cool £1m.
Each location on offer in the stalls features a pair of seats, with one listing boasting £290,000 as the asking price, which is considered ‘under offer’.
The seat-holder leases run for the same period as the lease on the Royal Albert Hall itself, which is for 999 years from 1867.
After being on the market for five years, it appears that even the richest folk will not fork out £3m for a continuous ticket to watch live entertainment at one of the world’s most iconic venues.
Images: Raphaël Tomi-Tricot on Unsplash and A View from My Seat