Nearly half of Montreal's Formula E's tickets were given away as freebies

Following several months of requests, organizers of this summer’s Montreal Formula E race have revealed how many tickets were sold and how many tickets were given away for free.

In total, 45,000 people attended the race. But only 25,000 tickets were actually sold to the public, while the remaining 20,000 tickets were giveaways, according to reports.

The Formula E race has become a controversial topic leading up to the municipal election. Mayor Denis Coderre stood by the event but has also remained quiet about ticket sales for months.

Coderre’s rival candidate Valerie Plante of Projet Montreal has been a critic of the race.

#FormuleE: «Est-ce que ça en valait la peine? Quelles sont les retombées? Et la marge de crédit?», demande @Val_Plante #polmtl #mtl2017

— Projet Montréal (@projetmontreal) November 1, 2017

In total, the Formula E event cost an estimated $24 million and was heavily criticized for shutting down businesses and streets in order for organizers to set up and take down the race tracks.

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