GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL organisers have told NME.COM that music fans should keep trying for tickets for this year’s event – even if they’ve been frustrated so far.
Irate music fans have contacted NME.COM this morning to complain about the way tickets for this year’s Glastonbury have been allocated.
Tickets for the event went on sale at 8pm last night (April 1), but many who attempted to get online to buy tickets have been frustrated, claiming the only website that’s selling tickets has been unable to cope with demand.
Also, many fans have found that a telephone line set up to sell tickets has been almost constantly engaged.
One fan told NME.COM: “Well, I’ve been sat here for nearly 12 hours now. Ringing redial thousands of times and clicking online just as many times too. Last year, touts, this year, this crap.”
NME.COM has just spoken to organiser Emily Eavis, who said that approximately 60,000 tickets had gone overnight, and that the phone lines are working well.
She said: “The phone lines are working really well. Keep trying. We’ve sold 60,000. They’re going at a rate of about 100 per minute. But please keep trying. Nothing has crashed. Don’t worry. There’s nothing that’s not working and everything’s running well.”
Michael Eavis told BBC: “Just too many people want to come, it is very difficult for all of it to run smoothly.”
NME.COM understands that if tickets continue to sell at their current rate, the festival will sell out before the end of the day.
Tickets are only be available through the telephone ticketline on 0870 830 2004 or via a link at the official festival site, [url=]glastonburyfestivals.co.uk.
Festivalgoers will also not be allowed to pay for tickets with a credit card in a bid to stop touts from buying multiple tickets. Instead fans will have to use a debit card, or postal order and cheque via the telephone line.
Speaking earlier this year, festival chief Michael Eavis said: “I am sorry if this change causes any problems, but there are benefits for everyone. This measure has allowed the Festival to cut the booking fee charged from £5 to £3 per ticket and should there be any further savings I will pass that money on to the charities and good causes the festival supports.”
Further measures to clamp down on the ticket chaos include the limiting of tickets to two per person and the personalisation of all tickets to prevent re-selling. Many fans were left disappointed last year when the event sold out in 23 hours, with Internet touts then re-selling the tickets for highly inflated prices.
Identity checks may be carried out at the festival gates to ensure people have not bought their tickets from touts.
Eavis said: “The measures we are taking this year will result in a much fairer way to access the festival, which promises to be as always, an incredibly joyful way to spend your mid-summer!”
Tickets are priced at £112 plus booking fee, postage, and packaging. Glastonbury Festival takes place from June 25-27.
Oasis, Kings Of Leon and Muse have been revealed as the headliners of this year’s Glastonbury.
Other stars including Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, PJ Harvey, Toots & the Maytals, James Brown, Rapture, Basement Jaxx, Elbow, The Chemical Brothers, Ms Dynamite, [/a], [a], [/a], [a], [/a] and [a] are also rumoured to play.