Omicron: Gig tickets, Covid and Christmas - can I get a refund?

Football games, gigs, office parties - there are lots of events people are having second thoughts about going to now that the Omicron variant of coronavirus is threatening to disrupt Christmas plans.

Fears about the new variant have led to a big fall in attendances, according to the Music Venue Trust.

So what are your rights if you've spent money on an event that you don't feel like going to any more?

OG Courts, 29, had been looking forward to seeing Little Simz in London with a mate, but now, it doesn't "feel like the safest bet to go and stand in a big crowd".

"I spent last Christmas and New Year's ill with Covid, and I didn't want to have a repeat of that this year," says OG, who's among many trying to sell their tickets online.

Up until a few weeks ago, you may have been able to easily and legally resell your ticket through an official exchange site.

But with demand falling, this has become more difficult.

Twickets - which allows fans to buy and sell tickets at no more than face value - has told Newsbeat that it has gone from a "huge increase in activity" between August and November, "towards listings far outweighing demand" as Omicron takes hold in the UK.

"A few weeks ago, any listings for Little Simz would sell immediately," Twickets says, but they now have almost 400 unsold tickets for the rapper's three shows in London.

It's worth remembering that reselling does also come with some risks.

"The original terms and conditions of the sale could mean that if the event organiser finds out a ticket has been re-sold, they'll void it so the buyer can't get in," says Adam French, a consumer rights expert at Which?

Adam tells Newsbeat the answer to this question is "kind of down to goodwill" from sellers.

"If you decide not to attend something and it's still going ahead, then unfortunately there's very little in consumer law that means you're automatically entitled to your money back."

Dan Long, 28, has tickets to see The Darkness with his brother, and they were "really looking forward to seeing Christmas Time performed live, so close to Christmas".

"But with everything going on, the thought of standing in a cramped queue for an hour, and then going into a tiny venue where everyone's singing and dancing, it's a recipe for disaster," he tells Newsbeat.

Ticketmaster says venues should all be adopting new and enhanced safety measures and that it can't offer any exchanges or refunds if your event is going ahead as planned.

But some event organisers are offering swaps and money back.

"London theatres do have rules in place that mean you should get a refund if you decide not to go," Adam says.

"Contact the people you bought from," he suggests.

"Drop them an email, give them a call, let them know you're not coming along - and you should be able to at least exchange your tickets for another day, or maybe get credit."

Newsbeat understands that Ticketmaster is issuing some refunds to customers who provide proof of a positive Covid test.

Which? says organisers are more likely to offer you a refund or an exchange if you are having to self-isolate, although there is nothing to guarantee this.

Some ticket providers offer "ticket refund protection" to customers in case they can no longer make an event, but this can be a "mixed bag," according to Adam.

"You need to read exactly what you're covered for. We have found instances in the last year where Covid-related reasons aren't actually covered by that insurance," he says.

If you've paid extra for insurance, Adam says you will need to "dig out the paperwork you were emailed when you bought it and read the small print - the devil is in the detail".

Some fans are feeling uneasy about getting their money back at the expense of venues and artists they want to support.

"I don't know whether it's fair they should suffer," says OG.

"If you are worried about taking money out of artists' pockets," says Adam, "a good idea is to take the exchange option if you can, or take credit on your account".