The Education, Sport and Culture Minister has confirmed that the ticketing system used at the VillaGaiety complex is not owned by her Department.
The system is currently subject to a fresh procurement process after the existing contract came up for renewal.
In a written Tynwald answer, Daphne Caine MHK said the system is operated by an external provider and outlined how booking‑fee revenue has grown year‑on‑year since 2021.
Total Sales
Total sales processed through the system, including tickets for other Government sites and Kensington Arts, rose from £1.86m in 2021/22 to £3.59m in 2024/25, before easing to £3.38m in 2025/26.
Booking‑fee income increased from £34,787 in 2021/22 to £157,019 in 2025/26, with booking fees rising from around 1.8% of sales to more than 4.6% following the introduction of a 5% external ticketing charge in January 2025. The fee applies only to live events, not cinema or Dragon’s Castle activities.
Payments to the ticketing provider ranged from £23,575 in 2021/22 to £40,840 in 2024/25.
Mrs Caine said booking fees are initially treated as deferred income because they are refundable if an event is cancelled. They are only recognised as government revenue once an event has taken place.
Of the 5% external fee introduced last year, 3% is allocated to improving venues and audience experience. Development projects funded through this allocation require a business case to DESC. An update on supported activity was published by VillaGaiety in April 2026.
All funds paid to the ticketing provider relate solely to contracted services, with remaining booking‑fee income retained for venue development rather than passed to a third party.
