2009 v 2019 - why are tickets so hard to get now?

[Jet_Moderno]

We all know that Glastonbury is the best festival in the world but what has happened in the last 10 years that has made it near impossible to purchase tickets? 

In 2009 it took 4 months for tickets to sell out, yesterday was just half an hour.

We all had broadband 10 years ago, the registration scheme was in place yet there wasn't the instant demand that there now is. 

Would love to know your thoughts. 

[TheGoodWillOut]

Blame the BBC

[bennyboi]

2009 was an anomaly due to the Jay-Z reaction.

But tbh, this was the first time I've had to buy legit tickets and I got some. Its just over subscribed, its that simple.

[a6l6e6x]

Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

All around 10 years ago (minus instagram) but less relevant

[august1]

TV coverage, social media, big headline acts, decent weather 

[Hugh Jass]

I'd say it's a mixture of factors:

• The festival has become the cultural centre of the British summer
• They book a wider variety of acts in higher slots than they used to
• The perception of the festival has shifted from something that just students and hippies attend to something that pretty much everyone can do
• Deposit scheme makes it easier and more affordable for people to go
• Blanket coverage on the BBC
• Two consecutive years of great weather
• Everyone realises now that it's fucking brilliant

[maelzoid]

'cause it's so fucking good!

[bennyboi]

1 minute ago, Hugh Jass said:

I'd say it's a mixture of factors:

• The festival has become the cultural centre of the British summer
• They book a wider variety of acts in higher slots than they used to
• The perception of the festival has shifted from something that just students and hippies attend to something that pretty much everyone can do
• Deposit scheme makes it easier and more affordable for people to go
• Blanket coverage on the BBC
• Two consecutive years of great weather
• Everyone realises now that it's fucking brilliant

Nail, Head

[Dave_c]

3 minutes ago, a6l6e6x said:

Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

All around 10 years ago (minus instagram) but less relevant

This 100%. Too many people want to go so they can take pictures of themselves pretending to be happy in front of the pyramid stage in the hope that they get lots of nice messages from their 'friends' on social media. 

[thrillhouse188]

I feel like when I think about the general state of British festivals 10 years ago it was a more level playing field, you'd have people wanting to go to V, Reading, T in the Park, Isle of Wight, Download, Sonisphere etc. They all had their audiences and so festival goers were more spread, now half of those I listed no longer exist, and the others have either changed their demographic and/or reduced in quality/wide appeal, and so everyone is converging onto Glastonbury being the only/best option

[the wonderwhy]

5 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

I'd say it's a mixture of factors:

• The festival has become the cultural centre of the British summer
• They book a wider variety of acts in higher slots than they used to
• The perception of the festival has shifted from something that just students and hippies attend to something that pretty much everyone can do
• Deposit scheme makes it easier and more affordable for people to go
• Blanket coverage on the BBC
• Two consecutive years of great weather
• Everyone realises now that it's fucking brilliant

Also people have more disposable income (or perhaps, are willing to spend more) than they did in the midst of the financial crisis back then. 

Obviously its not the case for everyone but it probably is a factor in the same way that holidays and stuff have picked up again. 

[priest17]

that's not a gradual thing though, 2010 was really hard to get tickets as well and its just been the same for 10 years now.

[MaxPower]

5 minutes ago, Dave_c said:

This 100%. Too many people want to go so they can take pictures of themselves pretending to be happy in front of the pyramid stage in the hope that they get lots of nice messages from their 'friends' on social media. 

I think it's much less cynical than this - the event is promoted significantly through people posting pictures on Insta etc. 

[DareToDibble]

There are a lot of things but the main one has to be social media.

I had a friend post a picture this year on the Wednesday of her say by the Glastonbury sign so I messaged Thursday evening and said "Were are you camped? Shall we meet up for an act over the weekend?"

Her reply - seriously - was along the lines of "We only came for the Wednesday/Thursday but we've gone home now as we had plans for the weekend.... still done Glasto though!!"

Now as much as they're my friend I can't help but feel they came just for the Instagram opportunity. If we have people trying for tickets who claim they've "done Glasto" and going home on the Thursday then what hope have we got of it ever being anywhere near 2009 levels?

Edited October 7, 2019 by DareToDibble

[henry bear]

The 2008 financial crash probably had something to do with it too

[incident]

3 minutes ago, DareToDibble said:

There are a lot of things but the main one has to be social media.

I had a friend post a picture this year on the Wednesday of her say by the Glastonbury sign so I messaged Thursday evening and said "Were are you camped? Shall we meet up for an act over the weekend?"

Her reply - seriously - was along the lines of "We only came for the Wednesday/Thursday but we've gone home now as we had plans for the weekend.... still done Glasto though!!"

Now as much as they're my friend I can't help but feel they came just for the Instagram opportunity. If we have people trying for tickets who claim they've "done Glasto" and going home on the Thursday then what hope have we got of it ever being anywhere near 2009 levels?

I hate your friend more than you can possibly imagine.

[a6l6e6x]

There is an element of fake instagram happy at Glasto but I do think a majority of punters are in it for a good time. Watching Lizzo on TV last year was great as it wasn't a swarm of people on their phones, just a field of people partying

Put her on at something like Coachella and everyone would be watching that through their phone

[dentalplan]

The skilled coders.

[Robinn]

7 minutes ago, DareToDibble said:

There are a lot of things but the main one has to be social media.

I had a friend post a picture this year on the Wednesday of her say by the Glastonbury sign so I messaged Thursday evening and said "Were are you camped? Shall we meet up for an act over the weekend?"

Her reply - seriously - was along the lines of "We only came for the Wednesday/Thursday but we've gone home now as we had plans for the weekend.... still done Glasto though!!"

Now as much as they're my friend I can't help but feel they came just for the Instagram opportunity. If we have people trying for tickets who claim they've "done Glasto" and going home on the Thursday then what hope have we got of it ever being anywhere near 2009 levels?

[DareToDibble]

1 minute ago, incident said:

I hate your friend more than you can possibly imagine.

To be fair I say friend but it's someone I work with.

I was genuinely staggered. They had a hospitality ticket given to them so it never came out of the general sales pot but it's still unbelievable. It was the line "Still done Glasto though!". I was stunned. Didn't even see any acts!

[dogeggs]

I don't remember it being stress-free and easy since about 2002. Since then it's always seemed harder and more stressful than the year before. Could just be down to my anxiety levels though. 

That excludes a few years back (maybe 2013?...I forget), when Seetickets accidentally put them on sale ten minutes early and we were sorted and back in bed by 9am.

[UEF]

10 minutes ago, henry bear said:

The 2008 financial crash probably had something to do with it too

Massively. Jobs being lost left right and centre, reduced credit.

We were right in the eye of the storm of a major recession at the time. We're not now (despite some peoples protestations)

[The Nal]

07 sold out in a couple of hours. As quick as the servers then would do it. 

Its been tough to get tickets for 15 years.

But the BBC makes it look so good, 2 years of great weather, a million cameras all in HD too. Long way away from Keith Allen and Mark Radcliffes amateur hour at 1am on Channel 4. 

[LSTx]

My thinking now is will it ever go back down to the days where it wouldn't sell out in half an hour? Probably not, this was my first year missing out on tickets in 5 years and it sucks, swings and roundabouts though. I had a bad feeling about tickets this year.

[FakeEmpire]

Hugh Jass covers most of the obvious reasons.

I think that the "Beyonce" effect cannot be undestimated.  The coverage of her show in particular really opened up the festival to so many people who hadn't previously considered Glastonbury.

If you look at the time it has taken to sell out, there is an obvious shift the year after Beyonce (although there was a trend emerging at that point anyway).

2008: A day before the festival
2009: 4 months
2010: 12 hours
2011: 4 hours
2013: 1 hour 40 minutes
2014: 1 hour 27 minutes
2015: 26 minutes
2016: 33 minutes
2017: 50 minutes
2019: 36 minutes
2020: 34 minutes