Will Coronavirus lead to the cancellation of Glastonbury?

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

1 minute ago, eFestivals said:

I think it's unlikely there's been any consultation. Fort a start, it would be with the whole events industry and not just Glastonbury if the govt was doing that. And as you mention, there's no certain word the govt could give them anyway, so it would be a bit pointless.

It's probably the case that to be able to claim on their insurance that cancellation needs to be forced upon them - so they might as well keep working towards the festival as tho it's going to happen. 

I’m sure you’re right, but there must be hundreds of events (not just music related) if not thousands in complete limbo, some at risk of going to the wall one way or another, not knowing wether to plough on regardless or cut their losses now. Do you think there has been absolutely no dialogue at all between anyone and the government?  

[eFestivals]

1 minute ago, ModernMan said:

I think it’s probably nailed on ticket holders for this year will get a chance to keep their ticket for the rescheduled 50th anniversary with a likely very similar line up. 

I don't think anything is nailed on.

But i do think that if the balances get paid up then it's more likely that those people will (somehow) get first dibs on tickets next year.

After all, the deposit is just the deposit and not all of them will get paid up. There's a full commitment after the balance is paid.

[Superunknown]

Just now, ModernMan said:

Don’t understand this stance. I think it’s probably nailed on ticket holders for this year to get a chance to keep their ticket for the rescheduled 50th anniversary with a likely very similar line up. 

May got some sort of priority for next years tickets but hardly equitable for people who didn't get tickets this year to miss out two years in a  row. It's shit luck for people with tickets but it's a different festival next year, it won't look anything like the line up this year and will probably be treated as such.

It's also not a rescheduled 50th. It's only 50 years since the first one in 1970. It's only like the 37th edition of Glastonbury though.

[JoBalls]

4 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

It's probably the case that to be able to claim on their insurance that cancellation needs to be forced upon them - so they might as well keep working towards the festival as tho it's going to happen. 

Almost certainly that will be the case - same as with travel insurance how we can’t just choose to cancel a holiday because we are concerned about coronavirus and get our money back, it would only be if the FCO issued advise against travelling to that country that insurance would pay out. 

[eFestivals]

2 minutes ago, Copperface said:

Re cancellation...it might not have to be forced on GFL  by the government if the local council pull the licence.

I can't see local decisions being what happens for stuff like this.

[Copperface]

1 minute ago, eFestivals said:

I can't see local decisions being what happens for stuff like this.

True, unlikely, but possible if the Govt do not restrict but GFL cannot meet certification commitments.

[JoBalls]

4 minutes ago, Copperface said:

Re cancellation...it might not have to be forced on GFL  by the government if the local council pull the licence.

I work for local authority (not in Somerset) and I can’t see that happening, local government take the lead on this sort of policy from central government. 

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

3 minutes ago, Superunknown said:

May got some sort of priority for next years tickets but hardly equitable for people who didn't get tickets this year to miss out two years in a  row. It's shit luck for people with tickets but it's a different festival next year, it won't look anything like the line up this year and will probably be treated as such.

It's also not a rescheduled 50th. It's only 50 years since the first one in 1970. It's only like the 37th edition of Glastonbury though.

I don’t disagree with you, but how how shit will it be for the people that missed out because it was cancelled and then go on to fail for 2021. There will be plenty of people in that boat, they’ll be missing out two years in a row as well but in far shitter circumstances than the people who just plain missed out for 2020.

[Superunknown]

2 minutes ago, Deaf Nobby Burton said:

I don’t disagree with you, but how how shit will it be for the people that missed out because it was cancelled and then go on to fail for 2021. There will be plenty of people in that boat, they’ll be missing out two years in a row as well but in far shitter circumstances than the people who just plain missed out for 2020.

I totally agree, it's shite. That's why I wouldn't be surprised at some sort of priority sale or something. 

Tough call for Glastonbury to make either way as people are gonna be pissed off whatever happens but the path of least resistance is probably just giving everyone a fresh shot at 2021 tickets. 

Edited March 12, 2020 by Superunknown

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

I don’t think this will happen, but if they do give 2020 ticket holders an automatic chance to buy for 2021 then it might be an opportunity for them to trial a different system for the remaining tickets.

There is always a massive uproar after each sale saying we should have a ballot etc etc. I don’t want that in the slightest but it could be an opportunity for them to try something different none the less.

[Garrett_Salas]

Don't really understand the argument that it's unfair for people without tickets to give current holders first refusal. They're still missing one festival.

Can't think why - assuming it's past balance payment when they cancel - that they wouldn't do that, surely holding the cash is preferable to refunds?

[ModernMan]

2 minutes ago, Deaf Nobby Burton said:

I don’t disagree with you, but how how shit will it be for the people that missed out because it was cancelled and then go on to fail for 2021. There will be plenty of people in that boat, they’ll be missing out two years in a row as well but in far shitter circumstances than the people who just plain missed out for 2020.

This. They know the system of getting tickets and I think the lesser of two evils is to accommodate current ticket holders. 

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

2 minutes ago, Superunknown said:

I totally agree, it's shite. That's why I wouldn't be surprised at some sort of priority sale or something. 

Tough call for Glastonbury to make either way as people are gonna be pissed off whatever happens but the path of least resistance is probably just giving everyone a fresh shot at 2021 tickets. 

Yeah I agree that unfortunately I think that’s what they’ll do.

Extreme example (as a ticket holder, and someone who has also failed in main sales in years gone by) I equate it to entering the lottery two weeks in a row and just not winning either time, vs entering the lottery, winning the jackpot, then losing the ticket and not winning the following week.

[DeadAmos]

2 minutes ago, ModernMan said:

This. They know the system of getting tickets and I think the lesser of two evils is to accommodate current ticket holders. 

Lets keep 200,000 ticket holders happy and piss off 2 million others

[ModernMan]

1 minute ago, DeadAmos said:

Lets keep 200,000 ticket holders happy and piss off 2 million others

Well who knows really it’s all speculation isn’t it. But just seems the most sensible and logical option to me 🤷🏻‍♂️ 

[Garrett_Salas]

Surely the decision will be taken mainly on the financial implications rather than "ohhh it's a bit unfair on ticket holder/non ticket holders"

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

Just now, DeadAmos said:

Lets keep 200,000 ticket holders happy and piss off 2 million others

Whilst I agree that’s the view they’ll take, there will still be tickets available, enough go into the resale pot as it is, let alone a year later.

I say that as someone who has got tickets in the resale twice 

[Ozanne]

37 minutes ago, gizmoman said:

I think the tone of Emily's text said it all really, I think they know it's not going to happen.

It's funny, I took her tone as cautiously optimistic. I could be completely wrong, but I read it that way! 

[ModernMan]

Maybe there will be an option to pay up your balance this year even in the event of cancellation to secure your ticket for the rescheduled/next year festival. 
 

I reckon this way, many people wouldn’t want to spend £220 now and so you would end up with maybe 50% tickets for a regular sale in October. You would then almost please everybody

[ModernMan]

2 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

It's funny, I took her tone as cautiously optimistic. I could be completely wrong, but I read it that way! 

Must say I thought that as well but maybe that’s projection of wanting it to happen so badly! Guess you can read it either way but it’s a fair assumption to take it in good faith at the moment, and furthermore, only 2 weeks away from ticket payments. 

[DeadAmos]

1 minute ago, ModernMan said:

Well who knows really it’s all speculation isn’t it. But just seems the most sensible and logical option to me 🤷🏻‍♂️ 

I know it's all speculation , but to my mind the easy option for GFL is to just have a "normal" ticket day

and no I don't have a ticket for this year and won't have one for next year either, I follow a diffrent route into Glastonbury

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

5 minutes ago, DeadAmos said:

Lets keep 200,000 ticket holders happy and piss off 2 million others

Sorry to quote you twice but that isn’t really true anyway...

there are 135k GA tickets in the pot, let’s say 100k from 2020 are taken up leaving 35k tickets for the 2 million. In reality you're only pissing 100k of the 2 million off anyway, there would only ever have been 135k tickets regardless, the vast majority of the 2million will be missing our in either scenario.

[JoBalls]

2 minutes ago, ModernMan said:

Maybe there will be an option to pay up your balance this year even in the event of cancellation to secure your ticket for the rescheduled/next year festival. 
 

I reckon this way, many people wouldn’t want to spend £220 now and so you would end up with maybe 50% tickets for a regular sale in October. You would then almost please everybody

I like this option, I think it’s fair. Personally I’d carry my tickets over without a second thought but I bet there’s plenty who would take their refund to either go to a festival later in the year or go on holiday or something. 

[DeadAmos]

2 minutes ago, Deaf Nobby Burton said:

Sorry to quote you twice but that isn’t really true anyway...

there are 135k GA tickets in the pot, let’s say 100k from 2020 are taken up leaving 35k tickets for the 2 million. In reality you're only pissing 100k of the 2 million off anyway, there would only ever have been 135k tickets regardless, the vast majority of the 2million will be missing our in either scenario.

but the other 1.9m would still say it's down to the 100,000 allocated tickets  , it's human nature

[jow95]

For what it’s worth, amongst all rumours and speculation, to cancel everyone’s tickets and make everyone try again in October is WAY more unfair than letting everyone with a ticket still have a valid ticket for next year. 
 

how is it more unfair to miss a chance to buy a ticket to a festival you aren’t going to than to have to cancel a whole festival for people who have a ticket. Yes I do have a ticket and as a result I am very bias but I am happy to challenged on this because I do believe that that is the fair way of doing this. 
 

having a ticket and then having it cancelled and not getting tickets for the next one is definitely worse than not getting a ticket and then being denied your chance to buy another one next year after this years tickets are put on sale again for next year. (And that’s without accounting for the fact that more tickets would be available for a resale bc a certain number of people can’t make it next year)