Glastonbury: future ticketing ideas

The BBC have been investigating what might be in store for those wanting to get tickets for Glastonbury next year. They've sourced opinions from Glastonbury regulars - including eFestivals users (yes, me as well;-) - and it makes interesting reading. The Festival is looking at various options to see how things could be handled better after tickets sold out in less than 24 hours this year.

People have raised the idea of there being some sort of priority list for regulars - something that we are completely against; the Festival should be open to anyone who wants to attend (and has a ticket!).

An idea that's being considered by the Festival is that people who bought tickets this year may be excluded from buying a ticket next year. As well as being completely impractical - after all, would you give them your name knowing the consequences? - this again unfairly penalises people. Like everything in life, the only realistic option is surely "first come first served"?

They of course already have the names of people who bought tickets this year. But as most purchases were for more than one ticket, getting a friend to buy the tickets next year is a simple way of circumventing the name idea.

As I mention in the BBC piece, there is a well tried (mainly in the USA) method of online ticketing, where each purchaser prints off their own unique bar-coded ticket. Such a system completely cuts out the touts, as there is no way of knowing how many copies of the ticket the tout might have printed. Those without their own printer would be able to save the print file, and take it to a friend or work to get it printed. Persons wishing to buy over the counter could still do so, with trusted outlets themselves using the online system in real time to get & print the ticket for the customer.

Of course there are costs with introducing such a system. But there are also savings - no tickets to be physically handled, or posted.

I actually brought this system to the attention of the Festival organisers in July 2001, but as yet it is not something they've chosen to implement. It is known that this is one of the options under consideration.

The BBC first published news on ticketing for next year yesterday, and have followed it up with a further piece today.

For all the Glastonbury info, including detailed stage line-ups, click here.

If you don't have a ticket, please stay away from the area during the Festival - YOU WILL NOT GET IN, and you'll be putting the future of the Festival at risk.

If you have tickets to sell - at about face value - or want to pick-up a ticket at a reasonable price, get yourself to www.ScarletMist.com - there's no better place to buy or sell a ticket.

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