Within six months we had hit our sales target for the whole of 2026. I am proud of that, and I am prouder of the team that made it happen in Dubai and at our UK base in Bath.

Trust is the product

Ticketing lives or dies on trust. When someone books a weekend around a fixture, they are not really buying a ticket. They are buying the certainty that the day will go the way they imagined it.

That is why being approved as an Official Ticket Seller by Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism mattered so much to us. It is not a badge for the website. It is a promise to every customer that we do this properly.

Build around the moment, not the seat

Thirteen years in sport, at Lord's with MCC, at Chelsea and at Bath Rugby, taught me that people remember the whole day: the arrival, the hospitality, the company, the journey home. So we build around the moment.

You can see it in the Seatsy experiences we have put together for 2027, from a full Dublin weekend for Ireland v England to a Ryder Cup stay at Adare Manor, a short walk from the first tee.

What being a founder actually feels like

The calendar never stops. Some weeks I am in Dubai, some weeks I am in Bath, and most weeks there is a big event somewhere that needs looking after. I would not swap it.

I am a dad of three, and my family keeps everything in perspective. My son Jenson has Phelan McDermid Syndrome, and running nine marathons in nine days for CureSHANK in 2025 taught me more about pace, patience and people than any business book. Now I am training for a full Ironman. Building a company feels very similar. You do not win it in a day. You keep turning up.

What comes next

More of the events people genuinely care about, done properly. If you want to see what is live, start with football, Formula 1 or concerts, or read more about who we are.

Thank you to everyone who has booked with us, backed us and pushed us in these first six months. We are only getting started.

Here are the dates I would put in the diary first. The full list, with ten picks, is in my Founder's Hot Picks on the Seatsy newsroom.

Ireland v England, Dublin, 5 February

The opening night of the 2027 Six Nations, at the Aviva Stadium. Rugby has been a huge part of my life, and this is the trip I would not miss. There are Ireland v England tickets, and a full Dublin weekend hosted by former Ireland full back Geordan Murphy.

Oasis at Celtic Park, 21 May

Some nights you simply have to be in the room. Oasis in Glasgow is one of them. Oasis tickets are on Seatsy now, and my advice is to sort the stay at the same time as the ticket.

El Clasico, Madrid, 9 May

Real Madrid v Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu in the spring. The biggest club game in world football. El Clasico is live on the site.

The Monaco Grand Prix from Cap Ferrat, 3 to 7 June

A calm base in Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, with a short tender into Monaco. This is how I would do the race. The Monaco stay is open for enquiry.

The Ryder Cup at Adare Manor, 16 to 20 September

If there is one week of 2027 I would tell you not to leave late, it is this one. The Ryder Cup stay at Adare Manor runs from 12 to 20 September, a short walk from the first tee.

Book the right one, not all of them

Football dates can still move for television, so always check before you book travel. And if you want a second opinion on a weekend, get in touch. I would much rather you book the right event than every event. You can browse everything live on Seatsy whenever you are ready.