Major changes to Glastonbury 2025 ticket sales announced

Glastonbury has announced a major change to its ticketing system for the 2025 event, introducing a new virtual queue designed to improve fairness and ease of access during the high-demand sales​.

Glastonbury, one of the world’s most famous music events, is introducing a major change to its ticketing system for the 2025 festival in an effort to make the purchasing process smoother and fairer for fans. The updated system, set to go live for the November 2025 ticket sales, will replace the frantic page-refreshing method with a virtual queue system that randomly assigns a place to each visitor already on the ticketing page when sales open. This approach, similar to systems used by other large events, aims to reduce the server strain and chaos caused by the traditional “refresh and hope” strategy.

Here’s how it works: when ticket sales open (at 6 p.m. for the coach package on November 14 and at 9 a.m. for general admission on November 17), anyone already on the ticket page will be assigned a spot in line at random. Once in the queue, ticket buyers will see a progress bar indicating how close they are to reaching the booking page. If someone logs on after sales have started, they will be placed at the end of the queue, which organisers say should help maintain order and transparency in the process.

Additionally, this system comes with a few precautions. Fans are advised not to refresh the page or use multiple tabs, as these actions will place them at the back of the line. To further prevent issues like ticket touting (reselling), Glastonbury still requires that all ticket purchasers be pre-registered. This registration, which must be completed by November 11, will link tickets to individuals by requiring details for the lead booker and up to five other people per order. Once the booking process is underway, these attendee details cannot be changed.

Ticket prices for 2025 have also seen a slight increase, with general admission tickets now costing £373.50, plus a £5 booking fee. Buyers will need to pay a £75 deposit to secure a ticket. Prices have risen steadily in recent years, reflecting rising costs, and some fans are already discussing the pros and cons of the new system. While many welcome the streamlined approach, others worry about the effectiveness of the random queue system, fearing it might still favour those with quicker internet speeds or more tech-savvy users.

This new ticketing system reflects Glastonbury’s ongoing efforts to create a fairer and more organised process for fans trying to secure tickets, especially given the overwhelming demand each year.