Online Sonic Symphony Merch Store to Open, UK Ticket Holders Get Advance Priority

The organisers behind the Sonic Symphony World Tour has confirmed that an online merchandise store for the concert series will soon open, with a priority line open for UK show attendees who were unable to purchase any swag on Saturday due to logistical issues.

Show producer Shota Nakama - who also performs on stage as part of the Sonic Band during the Symphony - has issued a lengthy statement on social media as an apology to ticket holders in London who were unable to buy any branded merchandise due to a severe shortage of items.

"We work with a 3rd party merchandise company. Their role is to design merchandise based on the show concept, decide how much inventory they manufacture and bring, deliver them to the venues, and provide staff to sell them," Nakama explained.

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What needed to be done correctly was the projection. The merchandise company works with prominent artists and is a seasoned player in the music industry. However, they are new to the video game concert circuit and did not foresee what would happen. Based on their past data, they manufactured just enough for a typical show, and the forecast wasn’t correct.

Please do keep in mind that the result of the situation is as much of our fault, and I am as responsible. I should have triple-checked the quantity they were manufacturing. I sincerely apologize for this.

The online Sonic Symphony merchandise store will open "as early as the end of this week," and will initially prioritise UK evening ticket holders who were unable to purchase any merchandise at all. They will get exclusive access to the merchandise store for two days before it is opened up further to afternoon UK ticket holders for another two days. A further 25% discount code will be offered to all London show attendees as a make-good.

After the exclusive four-day period for UK ticket holders is over, the online store will open up to global sales.

You'll be able to get the gang on a t-shirt, if you want.

Many Sonic Symphony attendees wrote online about their disappointment in being unable to buy a range of merchandise that was initially available during the performance day. A stall was set up at the Barbican Centre around midday on Saturday, ahead of the afternoon performance (which started at 3:30pm) offering a selection of t-shirts, hoodies, caps and posters. Before the matinee show was even over, everything had been sold out - leaving fans who arrived for the main 8:00pm show without any souvenirs to buy whatsoever.

It's great to see Shota and the Sonic Symphony team do their best to make this right - a rare sight to see with concert tour producers and promoters! Additionally, with the Los Angeles show fast approaching, Nakama reassured fans that the merchandising issue will not be a problem going forward:

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Now that the merchandise company has experienced the unparalleled passion of Sonic fans, they are committed to absolutely and thoroughly preparing for the LA and other concerts. They informed me of the quantity they are bringing to LA, and I can assure you it is enough.

I will spend more time on anything merchandise-related and ensure that internal communication occurs more frequently. I am actively looking into methods, apps, and anything I can utilize to improve that.

The link and discount code will be shared with UK ticket holders soon - keep an eye on Shota Nakama's social media account for the latest details.