Guy in ticket queue in front of me, ejected

[st00ka]

Well done, a comment both small minded and narrow minded at the same time.

[APC]

I agree with the point that eFestivals is making, but think it'd be important to note that (with the recent surge in festival popularity) there will probably be a bit of a leeway by the council because it improves local economies. However, i expect them to be more strict on drugs, a problem that a fair few festivals face (cause lets face it, by buying a pint rather than a pill you're lining their pockets).

[eFestivals]

Not on anecdotal evidence it wont.

The licence is not anecdotal. The licence is 100% solid fact.

The licence has not been granted on the basis of "we say 177,500 people but really you can let in as many over that number as you'd like".

FFS. How stupid do you want to prove yourself?

[bazakin]

If the freeloaders are getting in without tickets, they wont be coming through with the paying punters. how can they all be counted by the local authority.

[hazey_jane]

Something that is absolutely not anecdotal (and apologies as I may have to edit this post after a short time) but one of the organisations at Glasto had a consignment of their wristbands stolen a short time before the festival and had to redo everything in order to find those attempting to go in with the stolen ones. A chap was pulled over by security with over 200 of them in his rucksack.

[eFestivals]

I agree with the point that eFestivals is making, but think it'd be important to note that (with the recent surge in festival popularity) there will probably be a bit of a leeway by the council because it improves local economies.

They might be prepared to give a bit of leeway, but they might not.

The simple fact is that they've stated 177,500 as the absolute maximum, with the threat of the licence being revoked if it's exceeded.

On that basis, it would be incredibly dumb to ignore them. They were ignored before, and they stopped the festival. Next time they won't let it start again.

[rock n roll star]

There is a licence for 177,500. In the eyes of the council, just one person more than that is a breech of the licence, from which they can choose to take whatever action they decide against the festival, including revoking its licence and not issuing another.

While it's possible that they might choose to let things go if it's over the licenced number by a small amout, they might not too. The only way we'll get to find out is if it happens and they act against the fest - by which time it might be too late.

There was certainly the feeling that the numbers on site this year where quite significantly greater than was the case last year, despite the licenced number being the same. That might be down to any number of things, but it's a safe bet that the greatest contributor to that was freeloaders.

It's unlikely that the greater numbers have passed the council's monitors by (they have a big number of people on site in all areas at all times), and they ain't stupid. It's a fair bet that they'll be forming some conclusions on what they witnessed and the data they have access to to put alongside that. I already have a good idea of what they're likely to be.

The number of freeloaders this year is a long way from what it was in the past, but the numbers outside of the licence is not any part of the issue - it's being outside of the licenced conditions that is the issue, and just one freeloader is able to cause that.

[Derby_Dave]

thats why u should bring id. HOWEVER, he probs got in at a later time when stewards 'changed shifts'.

[paolo1980]

I was asked for additional ID which I was glad I had.... let's bear in mind though, on my photo I was wearing suit and tie and in real life I was wearing an England away shirt and combat shorts. Oh, and a big grin cos I was in my favourite place in the world

[**claire**]

You can add another two guys camped next to us who had no wristbands - not sure exactly how they managed to get in, but I do know it took them over 24 hours before they managed to get inside the fence!

[Spacey]

Because See messed up with my ticket and didn't send it out I had to collect it from the box office. It didn't have a photo. First time in I had to show my passport after that just my ticket. I was in and out twice a day as I was in campervan fields. I only nearly got asked for ID once although did carry driving license just in case.

[eFestivals]

Just a question but where do the couple of thousand kids come into the licenced number and how they effect it as they can't possible know how many kids are going to be on site and they dont have to pay??

there is a number*, set by the council, taken from the licenced number to account for kids - so the tickets allocated elsewhere (to sell, performers, crew, etc) is the licenced number less the kids number.

(* I knew what it was many years ago when the licenced number was far lower [so is irrelevant now], but I don't know the current number they work by)

[eFestivals]

If the freeloaders are getting in without tickets, they wont be coming through with the paying punters. how can they all be counted by the local authority.

I don't think the council are the ones counting the numbers in or out, so there's plenty of scope around that if someone chose to abuse their position. But if it was council employees, they'd be no more or less scrupulous than any other human beings, so it really doesn't make much difference - for all we know, it could be people getting in via the passes that are issued to council employees for the things they have to do on site.

[bazakin]

I don't think the council are the ones counting the numbers in or out, so there's plenty of scope around that if someone chose to abuse their position. But if it was council employees, they'd be no more or less scrupulous than any other human beings, so it really doesn't make much difference - for all we know, it could be people getting in via the passes that are issued to council employees for the things they have to do on site.

[st00ka]

The licence is not anecdotal. The licence is 100% solid fact.

The licence has not been granted on the basis of "we say 177,500 people but really you can let in as many over that number as you'd like".

FFS. How stupid do you want to prove yourself?

Edited June 29, 2010 by st00ka

[biscant]

they didn't even look at me and i had a hat and shades on. two of my mates got in one of which used my ticket and the other didn't even know the ticket holders post code, it's just luck of the draw really I'll always try and buy my ticket though before I resort to anything like that.

[rexclark]

So how the f**k do a family of 12 get in without tickets?

I assume they must sneak in with performers/stall holders etc.....

For the record I'm against anything that could potentially get the festival cancelled even if it is seen as not being a problem by some.

[dvjj]

I totally agree with all the people saying it's wrong not to pay, I could multiquote the whole thread and comment against each but I am sure nobody is that interested in my opinions lol. I have been going to Glastonbury since 1992 and have never not had a ticket. If you go to Any Supermarket/Any Clothes Outlet/Any Household Store/Any pub/On Transport do you expect it for free? No...It's theft whatever way you dress it up, If you get caught not paying you go to court and possibly jail the same should apply here. On top of that it threatens the licence for those of us that do pay.

[dvjj]

P.S Does anyone know how many were on site? it felt much busier than the past few years the whole 5 days...

[Mardy]

I thought it felt quieter this year, I walked through Jazz world at 10pm friday and it was deserted, in fact there never seemed to be anybody at Jazzworld really. Tiny crowd for Orbital apparently (I was at dan le sac), dunno, maybe everybody was at the Pyramid, but the site didn't feel at all busy, much quieter than in 2008/2009

[rachbon]

they seemed quite strict with the ticket checks when i went in. they were having a good look at the pictures and faces. although, i had sunglasses on and they didn't ask me to take them off.

there never seemed to be anybody at Jazzworld really.

Edited June 29, 2010 by _rachelbon

[ICGenie]

Is that the green eyed monster I see? They got something I didn't and it's just not fair. Waaaaaah!!!

[leaim99]

there was more sercrty this year because of the terorists thret on large numbers of people in the u.k

thay are there for our own saftey and to stop people who dont have tickets geting in.

but thay are a pain in the ass thow !!!

[catsta]

Absolute bollocks. I'm not jealous of anyone who gets in for free. I'm happy to pay. I work hard to get the things I enjoy, I don't feel the need to bum off other people all the time. I wouldn't want to get in for free. Apart from being scared of getting caught, I'd feeling guilty that all these other people had paid hard-earned money for me to have a good time. It's not on. It's stealing. And how exactly is that "the Glasto-spirit?"

[Jackmypie]

I was told about a couple of lads with no wrist-bands trying to get a "pass out" on Wednesday with "their" tickets. The security people thought it was funny, as when the lads were asked what their names were, they couldn't "remember" their surnames. How amusing! Security felt the tickets must have been stolen, but couldn't understand why, since they'd managed to get in, why they wanted to draw attention to themselves.

Got the feeling that more attention was paid this year - first entry in, when I asked about how much my picture was looked at, I was told it was because so many tickets had sold on ebay. Seems to have caught some people out though.