Tickets for the Glastonbury festival have sold out in under two hours.
Full capacity has been expanded to 177,000
Fears that a registration system, designed to prevent touting, would put off fans were not realised when 400,000 signed up.
Organisers said the 137,500 tickets available to the public were snapped up just one hour and 45 minutes after going on sale on Sunday at 0900 BST.
They added that they were happy with how the sales went despite websites and phone lines struggling to cope.
In 2005, when the last Glastonbury Festival took place, tickets sold out in less than three hours - a record in the event's history.
The Arctic Monkeys will headline this year's Glastonbury Festival
The Arctic Monkeys, Dame Shirley Bassey and The Who will all perform at the festival, but the full line-up will not be released until June.
Michael Eavis, who owns the farm where the festival is based, said: "We had a quarter of a million of people queuing up to get through. It's probably the fastest time we have ever sold out.
"We had coach package tickets as well and people were forced to buy those at the tail end of the sale."
He was also pleased the system of registering and then using a reference number had worked well.
"Its a great system. It's the first time it's ever been done - it's just gone so well it's just unbelievable. The system has worked really, really well and it's a first.
"Unfortunately there will be a lot of people that will be disappointed. Only two in three get through, but such is the demand of the festival - but that is in itself great after 37 years of trying to get it right."
He added that there would be another chance to buy tickets on 22 April at 0900 BST, when those transactions which had failed would result in more tickets being put back on the market.
Tickets without coach travel cost £145 with fans able to buy up to four each.
Over the years, Mr Eavis has massively increased investment into preventing gate-crashers and drug dealers entering the site.
Earlier this week Mendip District Council in Somerset approved a four-year licence deal, securing the festival's future until 2010.
The 177,000 capacity event takes place in Somerset from 22-24 June.
Did you manage to get tickets for the event? Was it a frustrating experience trying to get through?
Something is not right here is it?! How is it "fair" that those who managed to get through to the website once were then able to time and time again to buy more (I have read on a forum one person bought 50 tix!). We would not accept people letting their friends/family into the front of the queue so why do we have to accept this?
This system penalises people like me who live in the countryside where we don't have the benefit of high-capacity internet connections and digital phone lines. With rapidly increasing ticket prices and this new booking system, the festival is rapidly becoming a middle-class, townie-only festival.
Geoff, Lyme Regis, Dorset
Completely flawed system. Once a connection had been established it could be maintained permanently, meaning anyone connecting could get as many tickets as they wanted (as long as they had all their friends registration numbers). It was supposed to be 4 per person. I got mine becasue I'm technology savvy, but its biased against people who aren't.
I managed to get the coach tickets. The payment was confirmed and was told ill get a confirmation email but it has not arrived yet. Anyone else in the same position?
This system is so much better - out with the touts! Even if only 2 in every 3 were successful, at least those who are going are genuine festival lovers as opposed to people who'll sell the tickets on for sky-high prices. Afetr about an hour we managed to get 20 tickets between us all which is a fantastic result! The secret is teamwork - share your details with all of your mates and get as many laptops on the case as possible. My sympathies for those who weren't so lucky...
No matter which way they try and sell the tickets there are always going to be disappointed people. Mr Eavis realises this and therefore has to concentrate on the best way to avoid touts taking money away from charities and to this end I think he has succeeded. A lottery could cause even more problems as only one from a group of four may be successful - whilst it's a great place to go and meet people, I think you'd be a bit lonely in your one berth tent. Took me an hour on one computer - so yes, I was one of the lucky ones this year.
Richard, Ipswich, Suffolk
8 people on 10 computers and phones for 5 tickets! Only one person managed to see the site and got in twice getting all 5 tickets, but only just before all the tickets sold out. This is my first time so I am very pleased I have a ticket, but am very sorry for the many who wasted Sunday morning. See you there to all those who managed to get a golden ticket!
With global warming I think the number of people who has 1-5 computers working for hours just to get tickets must have had an impact on the enviroment. Mr Eavis please find a greener way before Glastonbury get totaly washed out!
Ivan Sestan, Prenton, Cheshire
2 Computers, 2 mobiles and 2 landlines and nothing. That's the fourth time I've not managed to get tickets, I think a lottery system would be much much fairer as I do not believe in the slightest that 2 out of 3 got through. If I ever hear that BT womans voice again I think I will scream.
Claire Plant, Manchester
So 137,500 got tickets, a quarter of a million didn't - thats not 2 out of 3 is it Mr Eavis? Very unfair with some people getting up to 17 tickets while others got none. After the regular tickets sold, people were "forced" (Mr Eavis' words) to snap up the 15,000 coach tickets. Pah!
Alan Wall, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Me and my mates got through online (the international tel no was a joke)and managed to get 20 tickets although 14 of them will have to go by stupid coach rather in our camper vans, which means the vans will only have one or two people in each one which makes no sense. This is my 22nd Glas, I'm not sure all the red tape is making it any better. No vans, fires, fireworks, bottles etc etc
James, Portland, Oregon, USA
No chance of reaching the site from China but a friend in London managed to book tickets for me eventually. It seemed that once you were through it didn't boot your IP address off the system so you could do multiple transactions for as many friends as possible. A poorly designed system but it meant that I could get tickets through a friend. I think a much fairer way would be to stagger sales over several weeks, only allowing a couple of thousand orders each time. This is much like the resale on April 22nd but expanded.
Greg, Kunming, China
Can't understand how people are claiming they bought 17 tickets, when the limit was 4 per person. How does this stop touting? Are they using multiple credit cards and how come they got more than 1 registration number.
Jae=Won Trignell, Newcastl upon Tyne, UK
Managed to get two tickets for me and the wife after only 45 mins from the website. I used my laptop while my wife manned the phone. We've never managed to get tickets before so are very happy indeed.
Steve, Truro, Cornwall
I'm not going to Glastonbury, and wasn't intending to, but the registration system seems to have worked - 177,000 tickets sold, none on eBay at this moment in time. Search for tickets for other festivals and there are hundreds available. Is this a vision of the future for ticket sales?
Alan, Doncaster, UK
I was the only one of our group to get through so I managed to buy tickets for 30 people this morning. Got the first batch at 0910 and the last at 0945. Just one laptop. I think I was very lucky, mad panic!
Trying to get online for 2 hours doesn't sound so bad - a few years ago it took all night!
Actually it looked like the website worked very well, every time I tried to connect I got diverted to the "busy" page which shows that there was sufficent bandwidth going into seetickets site, the busy page only loaded one in five tries (I assume it had lower bandwidth allocated that the main site) however once through to the main site it was smoother than previous years where transactions died halfway through.
Damian, Coventry UK
I have tried for the last 8 years to get tickets, and to no avail. They always seem to be sold out within the hours that I've been sat on the phone trying to get through. Even with a computer, I have no joy. I have never been, and as they years pass by I realise that I may never get the chance / get through. And as things look - yet again ! No tickets, just a sweaty ear, and neck ache, and a year older. Oh well, looks like another gathering at mine this year.
I was ready and waiting online at 9.00 and didn't even get a glimpse of the SeeTickets website until 11.45, by which time the tickets were gone. My friend tried the phoneline over 500 times and didn't get through. Gutted.
Laura H, Leeds
Yay, we got tickets but I agree with the above comments - once into the system there seemed to be no limit to how many could be booked from one PC. My son recently bought tickets for Arctic Monkeys and this was via a ballot - you registered and then they emailed out to say if you'd been successful. I don't want to talk myself out of tickets but this has to be the fairest system.
Anne, chelmsford, essex
With the much vaunted pre-registration system, Mr Eavis and co must have known exactly how many people would be trying to buy tickets this year so why was so many people's experience one of frustration? I was lucky to have a mate who got through to the website. Good work Tom, see you in June!
All you people calling for a lottery should take a step back and consider the facts. There were 137,500 tickets and 395,000 takers. That amounts to better than a 3-in-1 chance of getting a ticket, which is far better than in recent years. The rest comes down to organisation and luck. Even if you are lucky enough to have numerous computers and phones at your disposal, each one has the same small chance of getting through. The current system effectively is a lottery, and it's quicker, easier and more secure than ever before. A far cry from the 14 hour overnnight scotch and coffee fuelled marathon of 2003, so top work to Eavis and Mean Fiddler! Sympathies to those who missed out, but really - you kids don't know you're born.
As two years ago, I was dreading this morning. We got up at 8, made phone calls to friends and agreed that between two couples, we would buy tickets for the others if we got through. I hit redial and my man hit refresh. At 10.10 Our friends rang the mobile, they got through, got our tickets, then got through again to get someone elses - as did other friends - it seems some people can get through as many times as they like, whilst others try until sold out time and never manage it - surely that can't be luck - is there a technical reason ? I'm so sorry for people that did not get through. Good luck next time.
Lisa, Manningtree, Essex
Registration numbers. Passport photos. Doesnt sound like much fun anymore.
Whatever happened to the good old days of giving some wag a tenner in order to climb up his ladder and over the fence??
There is a fundamental flaw in the system. Once someone gets onto the site, the can just stay on it and process as many orders as they want for their mates. How is that fair?
Gabriel, London, UK
Gutted, disgusted with SeeTickets for having a rubbish website (I test them for a living, perhaps they should have tested theirs). Annoyed with Michael and Emily Eavis for extending the registration. How many latecomers got tickets today? How many diehards who registered early didn't. Although I am gutted I hope everyone has a great time. I've been lucky four times. It had to run out in the end.
The website clearly said that for people without debit cards, it would be possible to get a registration number from the phone sales line and pay by bankers draft within 5 working days. However, Seetickets said that had been changed before the tickets went on sale this morning. I got through, I was ready to pay, I had read all the FAQs etc, and now I'm hugely dissapointed - by the time I found someone who had the same bank as me (instant internet transfer) who's debit card we could use, all the tickets were sold out!
Justin Maxwell, Newcastle, UK
4 people each trying for each others tickets in 4 places with many phones and computers. The one who got through was in London on a very fast internet connection. Sorry for those who didn't do so well. My advice is team up with friends, plan ahead and be persistent!
Pete, Ross on Wye, England
What a joke. If you want to spend 3 days in a field surrounded by computer geeks and those rich enough to have multiple broadband connections well good luck to you... At least I have my many memories of Glastonbury before it became the corporate love in it is today.
Vern, Cardiff, Wales
I overslept until 10:00, but flukely managed to get through in about 5 minutes of trying. The reason people are able to get through again and again is because the system remembers your connection. If it didn't, you'd have trouble getting through to EVERY page in the entire sign-up process. I don't agree with having a lottery, surely it would split friendship groups in half? And besides, what's one Sunday morning in the great scheme of things?
Dave Houlbrooke, Stockport, England
I used the direct link posted on various forums. Got four tickets just after 10:00am. It's no use complaining, if you'd been reading the forums leading up to today, you would have known someone would post a link. Don't give up on the resale on the 22nd, follow my tip above and you'll have a very good chance. We did this in 2004 and got an extra 4 tickets for mates who missed out on the initial sale.
Mosher, Rodley, West Riding
Bah humbug. I hope there's a monsoon and you all drown in mud.
Katy, Leeds, UK
It seems once people were logged into the site they were able to stay logged in - becoming loci of ticket buying. I tried for two hours with four phones and two computers - and never got through. Luckily, my best friend's girlfriend's friend was one of those just sitting on the site processing other people's tickets- so we gave her our bank details and she bought us tickets.
So I'm not sure how fair the whole shebang is - we might have all had equal chances by ourselves, but having a very tenuous contact looking out for you seems a better bet. My little sister's ticket was bought by my older sister's friend's friend.
I'm disapointed to not get the tickets I wanted (four) BUT I'm relieved that genuine fans will have a great time. I've every confidence in the system make sure you don't let US down.
Phil Johnson, Beckenham, kent
Used ninety computers across my companies Wan. Watched for results on the servers. Got the first 4 at 9.14. Next the page crashed on payment details. Got the next just after 9.21. And by 9.34 we had all the tickets required.
Sarah, Ascot , Berkshire
Got 3 coach package tickets at literally the last minute (11:42 - at 11:44 was all sold out) on the website. But having checked with see-tickets they're not sure the order went through yet. I havent had an email, my bank hasn't received a payment request, and apparently they sold out at 10:45, an hour before i "successfully" placed the order? I'm nervous now... Did the order go through? Apparently I have to wait for an elusive email....
The system was not fair at all. I've been on the forums this afternoon and some people who got onto the website said they managed to buy their 'maximum' of four tickets but then kept going back to the page where you type in your details, and ordering more for family and friends. One person said they had placed 10 separate orders for tickets. How is this fair? Surely one person should only be able to buy four tickets as it says in the rules. All the people who were doing this were stopping others getting onto the site. It's outrageous!
Sarah, Bath, UK
Couldn't care less about the festival. But it seems no surpise that the systems crashed, if everyone was trying to use 3 or more devices to get tickets. Wouldnt a lottery of those who had pre-registered been a fairer system?One ticket one person. It seems odd that one person can get 4 or more tickets. Wasnt this supposed to stop touts, or do they expect people to buy 4 tickets and use just one?
Please Mr Eavis can we have a lottery, I wasted 3 hours in a frustrating way trying to get tickets for Glastonbury. What was a 1 in 3 chance was in reality more like 1 in 300. There must be a better way to fo this? I remember just popping into a local record store to buy tickets over the counter many years ago, so much for progress!
4 Phones, 3 Computers, 2 people and a partridge in a pear tree. 19 Minutes, done and dusted. Whats all the fuss about?
Matthew, Hayes, Middlesex
Sometimes you get them, sometimes you don't! Luckely if I hadn't got a ticket today I would have been able to get a local one! Enjoy the festival! Love, Peace and Bananas!X
Gutted !! three phones and a computer for two and a half hours . The first time in the last six glastonbury festivals that I will not be able to attend . Not holding out much hope for the tickets to be released later on in april . Still hearing engaged tones in my head !!
What a sham!!! spent three hours trying to get on the site, but various website forums posted links straight to the order page so people were ordering up to 20 tickets for all their mates, not a chance for me who wanted 2 measly tickets. 2 out of three got through, pull the other one Eavis!
If you didn't get tickets today, don't forget that there should be another chance to buy on 22 April when they resell any failed/cancelled tickets.
Devastated!! I got up at half 8. Sat at my computer for 3 hours straight. Had the redial button on my phone working overtime the whole time too and still did not get through once. By the time I did they were sold out. Iżve been wanting to go for so long. Me and my two friends are gutted. 22nd is my only hope now.
Yeah!!!!!! What a result... Got tickets and able to get friends tickets. Once I got in, there was no problem buying tickets. Apart from me shaking with excitement! Thought the system could of been better, but you have to put the effort in. We had 4 laptops, 6 mobiles, 1 land line on the go & only my laptop got through after an hour of trying. Still I'm not moaning!!! See ya there if you got a ticket!!!
Dave, Bury St Edmunds
Am hugely frustrated having wasted 2.5 hours trying to get onto the website only to be told that tickets had sold out when i eventually got there. Considering that only 400k people were tring to get tickets compared to over a million last time, seems like a huge backward step to me.
Anthony, Maidenhead, UK
Very frustrating, however with the aid of 5 computers and 2 phones we got our 4 tickets at the last minute, so now very happy. Sorry to all who missed out on what will be an amazing festival. Rock on!
After an hour and a half I managed to get into the website. As it processed my payment details, the website crashed. I doubt we've got tickets as we weren't given a confirmation number. It is so frustrating. There should have been some kind of queuing system in place at least.
Sarah, Leighton Buzzard
Yes!! 45 minutes and i had mine booked. this system is much fairer - everyone had a fair crack.
I tried getting it online at 8.50am, but couldn't get the site until 11.40am. I was continuously re-dialling on the phone all that time. Eventually I had the chance to buy the Coach Package tickets, which rather stretched my budget (the standard tickets having sold out), but I thought "what the hell", so now my daughter & I have tickets on order! Yay!
Steve, Sudbury, Suffolk
I managed to get a ticket and so did all my friends! The system worked for some people and not others though as one girl I know managed to get 17 tickets online and another girl did not get anywhere close to getting on the site!It was worrying that the site was blocked half an hour before tickets even went on sale as well!
Sian, Cardiff, Wales
Throughout the entire two hours my PC was unable to reach the ticket booking website, yet a friend in another part of the country could get to it immediately whenever he wanted - I got him to book the tickets for me, but it did seem a bit odd.
It took a hour and a half of constantly attempting to enter the website and 4 phones constantly ringing before we hit paydirt. I got tickets but cant help feeling for those who didnt, in 2005 I was one of the unlucky ones and know how it felt then.
Only 15 minutes on the webpage of slamming F5 and voila had 2 tickets. 3 years running it has taken no more than 20mins to get tickets - whats the problem?
After about one hour and 20 minutes of trying via two computers and two phones, we managed to secure tickets, just minutes after my other friends secured theirs. All seven of us are going to be there - yay!
Nightmare! Two-and-a-half hours of no web page and constant network unavailability/engaged on the phone. Did get tickets, but coach ones. Not sure it's environmentally friendly - have to drive an hour away from home in the wrong direction to catch a coach back!
I managed to get one ticket for me... but none of my friends have managed to get one... really frustrating system! The phone lines shutdown for ages!
Tried for two hours to get through. Constantly engaged. Two out of three people got through? I don't believe it!
Yipppeeeee. We got tickets. We're so happy. It took us one-and-a-half hours to get through. We were trying by phone and PC at the same time and eventually got through online. This will be our second time and man, are we looking forward to it. Oh and somebody please beg Kylie to reconsider!
Thomas & Simon, Guernsey
Words find it hard to express my frustration, I've just wasted 2 hours trying to get through online and via the phone. Whilst I applaud the attempt to stop touting, it was far from the brilliant success Eavis claims. I do sincerely hope those who got tickets have a great time, any spares?
Surely it would be a fairer system to operate a lottery for those registered as this would have saved hundreds of thousands of people their sunday mornings and sanity! It has left me feeling resentful as I will now not be able to get tickets and feel I have put so much effort in.
It took 1 hour 15 minutes to get a connection to the web site. I was quite pleased with that - I expected to be trying all day and then for it to be sold out. I used two different computers and two phones - the phones were engaged the whole time.