when will get an announcement?

[JoeyT]

The festival holds the aces here.

Currently the festival is sold out and technically is until the closure of the payment window.

They have no need to release the lineup based on ours and other peoples greed to know it. Which lets face it, greed is what it is. We don't need to know the information as we're all going to go anyway.

[Matt42]

I understand Neil's posts but it seems very Festival vs. The fans

and the minority ruling the majority.

The second the rest of the lineup is revealed all kanye talk will die down... and i'm pretty sure of that.

[kalifire]

We don't need to know the information as we're all going to go anyway.

This is true, but personally I think releasing at least the names of the three headliners, and ideally a smattering of names, would be the courteous thing to do for people who are shelling out hundreds of pounds to be there.

[Jakkkkobz]

30th of April at 7pm

[Matt42]

This is true, but personally I think releasing at least the names of the three headliners, and ideally a smattering of names, would be the courteous thing to do for people who are shelling out hundreds of pounds to be there.

It is not rude, or unfair to want to know who's playing an event you're paying 200+ to attend

no matter how many liberal efest posters tell you it is...

[Untz]

It is not rude, or unfair to want to know who's playing an event you're paying 200+ to attend

no matter how many liberal efest posters tell you it is...

No-ones's forcing anyone to pay anything or go anywhere. If releasing the line up later affects ticket sales then they will start to release it earlier. Various comments from the Eavii indicate that they like people coming regardless of the line up and not just because of a few names.

[kalifire]

No-ones's forcing anyone to pay anything or go anywhere. If releasing the line up later affects ticket sales then they will start to release it earlier. Various comments from the Eavii indicate that they like people coming regardless of the line up and not just because of a few names.

And if they were to say that, it would be a bit selfish of them, in my opinion. 'You don't have to come if you don't like it' is a bit of a slap in the face to people who'd very much like to come but would just like a few details. It's not really up to the Festival to decide why people should want to attend, and that's effectively what they'd be doing if they went down that road.

[JoeyT]

But we all pay the money without knowing.

I'm in the boat of wanting to know the line up but I don't need to know.

Am I right in thinking anyone with a ticket has until some time in May to cancel and get a refund?

IF that is the case then I'd say the festival has every right to hold the line up until just before that point. Providing it gives people enough time to request a refund should they wish to.

I don't believe it's in the terms and conditions of buying a ticket that we know the line up by a certain date.

[Rose-Colored Boy]

9am Tuesday 7th

only because Zac has taken 8am

Hah, sorry mate

[Matt42]

Guys, no offence to neil but in both 2014 and 2013 he's given us a date that's late April and it's come out either just before balance week or during.

We will get something, i'm sure of it.

[Brave Sir Robin]

Be very surprised if we don't get at least a headliner or a half dozen big acts this Weds/Thurs.

[BigPapi]

First Glastonbury for me... line up in programme when on site would be immense! And I'm checking every hour for the drop!

I guarantee something for everyone, everyday. My prediction.

[Untz]

And if they were to say that, it would be a bit selfish of them, in my opinion. 'You don't have to come if you don't like it' is a bit of a slap in the face to people who'd very much like to come but would just like a few details. It's not really up to the Festival to decide why people should want to attend, and that's effectively what they'd be doing if they went down that road.

I doubt they think like that, it's more of "why don't you see what else we've got? you'll have a great time regardless" kind of thing. It's hardly surprising what the line up will contain roughly, there are plenty of past line ups to look at.

But of course the thing they want the most is for it sell out, so if doing it one doesn't work then they will do another.

[eFestivals]

Guys, no offence to neil but in both 2014 and 2013 he's given us a date that's late April and it's come out either just before balance week or during.

We will get something, i'm sure of it.

Guys, no offence to Matt but on any day for the last 6 months he's given us fifteen different ideas and they'll all proven to be wrong.

Perhaps I know more than i'm letting on. Perhaps I've given a late date for a reason. Or perhaps I'm making everything up Matt styleeee.

I know which one it is, and why my guess is what it is. No one else does.

[michael eavis' beard]

Guys, no offence to neil but in both 2014 and 2013 he's given us a date that's late April and it's come out either just before balance week or during.

We will get something, i'm sure of it.

You do realise that it's the festival that decides on the release date and any changes to that date, right?!

[kalifire]

Am I right in thinking anyone with a ticket has until some time in May to cancel and get a refund?

IF that is the case then I'd say the festival has every right to hold the line up until just before that point. Providing it gives people enough time to request a refund should they wish to.

I don't believe it's in the terms and conditions of buying a ticket that we know the line up by a certain date.

You're right, the Festival can do whatever they like and if they want to withhold every name going until we all arrive at the gates, they're within their rights to do so, and it would still sell out. But the notion of it being 'exciting not to know until you get there' is far outweighed by the unreasonable expectation that so many people would part with so much money, take time off work etc.

Yes refunds are available, but again - there would be an expectation that huge numbers of people would part with hundreds of pounds between balance payment week and whenever they release the line up. Yes, they can get that money back if they don't like the names, but the point is they've already paid. They're at a net loss for that period of time. It would just be a shitty way to do business.

It's not an argument worth having really, because there's no way they would or could ever withhold the line-up, I just think that when I pay a not-insignificant sum of money to the Festival, whether they 'have to' or not, it would be fair that they should provide some details.

[pedmills]

I reckon the majority of signees for 'that petition' have never, will never and have no intention of ever getting tickets. The few that signed it that do have tickets will be first timers who think the Pyramid stage is the be all and end all of the festival (and have a pleasant suprise awaiting them).

If you look at the latest 'Reasons for Signing' on that petition, 90%+ of the signatures are from people outside the UK and their reasons don't even mention Glastonbury; they just say things like "he's the biggest w*nker on the planet" and "Kayne is a piece of shit".

[01seb]

I'm going to laugh when the lineup comes out tomorrow or Thursday and this whole discussion will be forgotten.

It's all well and good to say there's a few reasons that Glasto doesn't have to release the lineup yet. But the thing is, a good 80-90% of people are not going to be too happy to pay up when they know only 3 acts playing. Not everyone is like the majority of Efester's, attending regardless of the lineup.

And to release the lineup later than expected would only damage ticket sales for future years with people not wanting to commit to buying a ticket they know they will have to pay for in full without knowing 99% of the lineup.

[ghandi]

I am going to believe Neil on this, after all as said before 5 out of the last 6 years a full line up has never been before the last week in April, maybe the headliner yes, you might even get some of the dance staged and some leaks but no definite line up.

[stuartbert two hats]

This false sense of entitlement is really getting on my nerves. You think you have a right to know the line-up - well you don't. For years, it's been clear* that Michael would love it if he could sell out the festival every year to people who would go without seeing the line-up. He wants to hold a festival for people who trust the organisers to do the right thing, trust that he wants to earn. If that's not something you're happy with, then you don't have to buy a ticket. It's not that he doesn't want you as such, just he'd rather have someone who would come to the farm no matter what the specifics are.

I don't think he wants to deceive or cheat, but I think he would like nothing more than telling people clearly that there will be no line-up released before deposit day and to only have those people who are willing to accept those terms turning up. He doesn't want "Kayne" fans or "Rolling Stones" fans. He wants Glastonbury Festival fans.

And you know what - if that's what he wants to offer, then that's a perfectly legitimate position to take. If you don't like it, then you have every right to not enter into a transaction with him. That's not yet the terms of the deal, but it Mick gets his way, it will be one day - maybe sooner than you think, after all he's not got forever. He might not ever be able to pull it off, but the way things are going now, I think he'll do it. My prediction - at the latest, for the festival after the fallow, it’ll be clearly advertised that the line-up will not be released until after deposit day. That should be the year the festival has the greatest demand before he retires in 2020.

This isn't just an ego thing, I think there are sound strategic reasons. I'm one of those who believes that the "big headliner" policy of 2000-2013 is unsustainable. The festival has pretty much gone through all the mega acts that fit their traditional booking policy. Last year had a largish band who are very good live, a huge act without mainstream appeal and a band in heavy rotation on the festival circuit. Michael wants to take the attention off these headliners and the broader line-up to give the festival a longer-term sustainability. http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Michael-Eavis-final-dream-Sod-line-come/story-21016941-detail/story.html

*"clear" in this case means, "I reckon", like 99% of posts on here!

[Bobs]

Thursday 7:14pm

Oh and FWIW...

I like having the lineup, imagine trying to decipher the lineup at 8am on Weds morning for the first time, your head would be cabbaged, and how would uou possibly stumble across new bands from looking through the poster, the amount of times i've done that over the years!

Edited March 31, 2015 by Bobs

[Icewulf]

I'm with the sooner rather than later crowd. Certainly not for the full line up, but at least for a poster like last year.

I don't buy this "leaving it till later to gauge the reaction to Kanye" line. If that is the reason, it's a pretty big gamble, considering no-one's deposit it a definite ticket sale yet. And Glastonbury is all about the diverse music lineup. It's in their own interest in terms of sales and getting "the right crowd" to release an eclectic snapshot of the lineup sooner rather than later.

They can gauge the Kanye reaction on the day, by the crowds that turn up to watch him, and by the reaction on various media channels when the event happens. Ticket sales wouldn't prove anything, and if they have a reason to delay the poster, I certainly can't see it being that.

[Matt42]

If lots of people cancel their tickets or don't pay the balance because of Kanye, that might be a good thing for you as it would be 'ridding glastonbury of people who shouldn't be there anyway', but in truth that isn't great for the Festival.

The Festival is so reliant on selling out, imagine the poor situation if Glastonbury tried to get one up on it's fans and lots of tickets get returned. What's to say that the re-sale wouldn't sell out? Unlikely as it is, if Glastonbury took a gamble and it massively backfired on it self - it would jeopardise the future.

Now it's very unlikely that will happen, but considering the instability of festivals nowadays, no festival is safe from having a year where they don't sell enough tickets.

[kalifire]

This false sense of entitlement is really getting on my nerves. You think you have a right to know the line-up - well you don't.

Just in case that's aimed in my direction, I've never once come even remotely close to suggesting anyone has any 'right' to know the line-up.

We (as in those of us here, but I don't extend that to the bulk of ticket buyers) do trust ME to put on an event worthy of our time and money even if we know nothing about it. You're arguing against a position I haven't seen anyone make on here. What some have suggested is that it would be fair and reasonable to release a few details like the names of headliners or a few names prior to people making a financial commitment (even if they later get a refund). That's not a 'demand', it's a preference.

[sparkythetortoise]

This false sense of entitlement is really getting on my nerves.

You have summarised things so well.

I would only add that the current situation, its not a system because it happened by circumstance not design, could be equally seen as unfair to those out in the sticks, who can't get a screen up in October, because demand has been pushed up artificially high by those that think they know they can back out later. People who are still on shitty copper wire with a single knackered old PC and none of the ingenuity of youth, who end working the festival rather than risk losing out in the resale, crying in pain as their ancient knees crack picking up litter at 5 in f*ing morning.

(me? bitter? you must be thinking of someone else?)

The deal from the start has been "Buy a ticket and trust us" and that has been gradually eroded, to the detriment of diversity and good vibes