It's the biggest event in the music calendar, and an unforgettable opportunity - but the notoriously difficult process of getting tickets for Glastonbury Festival is as famous as the iconic event itself.
After returning for the first time this year since before the pandemic, with headliners including Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Paul McCartney and local legend Sam Fender making an appearance on the Pyramid Stage too, many fans have been waiting years to secure tickets to the festival and demand is higher than ever. Tickets plus coach travel went on sale as of 6pm today, Thursday 3 November, and were announced to have sold out by 6:23pm.
But there's still hope - the larger batch of general tickets goes live at 9am on Sunday, 6 November. Nick Baker, telecoms expert at Uswitch.com, has issued some top tips for those who are gearing themselves up for the emotional rollercoaster that is the ticket-buying process this weekend, The Mirror reports.
If you're waiting until Sunday to snap up your tickets, preparation is key, Nick said. "Prior to tickets going live, make sure you have registered for the festival and that it’s been approved. You may not be able to purchase tickets without this approval, so it's worth finding out now," he explained.
"Note down in your calendar the exact date and time that tickets will be available for purchase, and if you’re really eager, consider setting alarms up to 10 minutes before tickets go on sale, providing you with time to prepare."
It's also worth checking that your internet connection is sound before you begin the buying process - the last thing you want is for your Wi-Fi to cut out mid-checkout as this could land you at the back of the queue, Nick said. "Before you start the buying process, check your internet connection is up to scratch by running a speed test," he advised.
"If your internet is not performing as well as it should, it might be worth contacting your provider to see if there’s an issue."
Once you're successfully on the page, avoid refreshing no matter how impatient you may get waiting in the virtual queue - this could cause you to lose your place, Nick warned. "See Tickets will automatically refresh for you when you are given the opportunity to pick your tickets," he explained.
"Similarly, avoid opening multiple tabs for the same ticket retailer, as this may lead the ticket system to believe that you’re a ‘bot’ and therefore prevent you from accessing the website and purchasing tickets altogether," he added.
Getting tickets for Glasto is a notoriously difficult venture - but you shouldn't give up in the event of website complications, Nick advised. "Even if an event appears to be sold out on the ticket website, this is not always the case. Occasionally high site traffic can result in tickets appearing falsely unavailable," he said.
"If this happens, be sure to continue checking and looking for tickets over the following few hours. Additional tickets may appear and this could be your chance to secure them."
Lastly, make sure you keep your wits about you no matter how desperate you may be to secure your place - scammers are well aware that Glastonbury tickets are like gold dust, and will try their hardest to capitalise on demand. "Aside from See Tickets, no other site or agency will be allocated Glastonbury tickets, so be wary of making a purchase through another retailer," Nick warned.
"All tickets for the festival are individually personalised to the named ticket holder and are strictly non-transferable, which is to attempt to stop resellers. Security checks are carried out on arrival, and only the specified ticket holder will be admitted to the festival," he added.
"If you miss out on tickets when they go on sale, any cancellations will be made available for resale at face value via the festival’s authorised ticket agency only."
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