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Glastonbury ticket sale kicks off Half of Glastonbury tickets sold
(about 23 hours later)
Tickets for 2009's Glastonbury music festival have gone on sale, eight months before the event. Half the tickets for 2009's Glastonbury music festival have been sold already, eight months before the Somerset festival is due to take place.
Fans will be able to reserve their places by putting down a £50 deposit or they can buy tickets outright. Tickets went on sale on Sunday morning and by early evening more than half the 137,500 places were snapped up.
The early ticket sale comes after last year's event failed to sell out on the first day, as had been usual before. Fans were able reserve places by paying a £50 deposit, or they could buy their tickets outright for £175 each.
Spokesman John Shearlaw said he was "chuffed" so many tickets had gone for the event at Worthy Farm, Pilton.
Next year's Glastonbury runs for five days, from June 24 to 28.
'Extraordinary'
The early ticket sale comes after last year's event failed to sell out on the first day.
Despite that, Shearlaw said he had not expected the tickets to sell out so far in advance.
"That would have been extraordinary, without a line-up and eight months before the event," he said.
"You can look at it from both sides because if they had all sold out, there would have been eight months of turning people away.
June saw the most diverse audience for 10 years or so, and hopefully this new fairer ticket system will mean that we have a great crowd again in 2009 Michael Eavis
"We are very calm about it - it's a vote of confidence."
He added being able to pay a deposit so early for the ticket helped out students.
"It's brilliant that here we are in October talking about a festival that isn't happening until next year.
'Genuine fans'
Organiser Michael Eavis also said the scheme was to ensure tickets went to genuine fans and make it easier for them to pay by spreading the cost.Organiser Michael Eavis also said the scheme was to ensure tickets went to genuine fans and make it easier for them to pay by spreading the cost.
Passes for the three-day festival will cost £175 and 100,000 tickets will be made available. On the festival's website, he said: "It's really exciting that people are still remembering one of the best festivals we've ever held and are clearly already looking forward to the next one.
But those wanting to go will also have had to pre-register their details, a system introduced in 2007 to stop ticket touting. Every ticket will be going to a genuine festival-goer direct. Michael Eavis "June saw the most diverse audience for 10 years or so, and hopefully this new fairer ticket system will mean that we have a great crowd again in 2009."
Mr Eavis said of the early sale for 2009: "After three years, I am now confident that we have developed the fairest ticketing operation available anywhere, and we are ready to go.
"With the new scheme, backed by the all-important registration process, everyone has an equal chance of getting a ticket. And most importantly, every ticket will be going to a genuine festival-goer direct.
Line-up decision 'soon'
"I'm also convinced that the £50 deposit will help a lot of people to spread the payment for their ticket over a much longer period."
Glastonbury 2008 saw more than 130,000 revellers watch acts like US rapper Jay-Z, Amy Winehouse and veteran songwriter Leonard Cohen.Glastonbury 2008 saw more than 130,000 revellers watch acts like US rapper Jay-Z, Amy Winehouse and veteran songwriter Leonard Cohen.
Next year's Glastonbury runs for five days from June 24 to 28 across 1,000 acres of countryside at the Eavis family's Worthy Farm. Festival co-organiser Emily Eavis told the BBC news website in September that the headliners for next year should be announced "pretty soon".
Emily Eavis, daughter of Michael, told the BBC news website in September that the headliners for next year should be announced "pretty soon". "It's not Coldplay, it's not U2 and it's not the Rolling Stones," she said.
She declined to name them, but did say: "It's not Coldplay, it's not U2 and it's not the Rolling Stones."
She also said Franz Ferdinand and The Ting Tings would be "somewhere on the bill" after playing a show for locals.She also said Franz Ferdinand and The Ting Tings would be "somewhere on the bill" after playing a show for locals.
Ms Eavis said the booking of acts has been brought forward in response to the earlier ticket sale. Ms Eavis said the booking of acts had been brought forward in response to the earlier ticket sale.