Technical issues derail Glastonbury live-streamon May 22, 2021 at 7:27 pm

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

Hundreds of ticketholders are unable to watch the show, with one MP calling the event a “shambles”.

Coldplay

image copyrightGetty Images

Glastonbury organisers have made their live-stream concert free to watch after thousands of ticketholders were unable to access the show.

Technical issues meant people who had paid £20 to see the virtual gig received an error, denying them entry.

Problems persisted for two hours, after which organisers launched a free stream, meaning anyone could tune in, regardless of whether they had paid.

“I am so sorry about the problems,” said festival organiser Emily Eavis.

The replacement stream could only be rewound by an hour, meaning the early parts of the show were still unavailable.

To compensate, Eavis said: “We will obviously make sure we show the whole film again from tomorrow, too, and give you the chance to catch up on any bits you missed”.

“I really hope you can enjoy the rest of it tonight. And again, I’m just so sorry to anyone who’s had issues.”

Earlier, Conservative MP Steve Brine branded the event a “shambles”.

“Lots of people have paid you their money for this and your system is clearly unable to handle it,” he wrote on Twitter.

Former headliners Skunk Anasie were also hit by the problem. “Code not working,” wrote their lead singer, Skin. “Don’t make me watch Eurovision.”

“Invalid code were my favourite band way before they were cool,” added DJ SK Shlomo.

Many users saw this error while trying to access the concert

The show was due to begin at 19:00 BST, with sets from Coldplay, Haim, Jorja Smith, George Ezra, Kano and Wolf Alice.

The technical issues began straight away – although some fans were able to access to the show. Festival bloggers Where’s My Tent told the BBC they’d logged in at 18:53 BST – and provided video proof that the stream was working.

“Wolf Alice were gorgeous and I cried seeing the stone circle fields,” they wrote online. “Michael Kiwunaka was good too. Some good bits in between too, amazing spoken word from Kae Tempest.”

However, after their stream failed at 20:25 BST, they were unable to regain access to the show until the free stream was made available.

Another fan wrote that they’d been able to watch the first half hour, but got “kicked out one song into Michael Kiwanuka”.

“Unable to get back in now. Shame,” they wrote.

As complaints flooded in, Driift Live, the technology company which helped organise the stream, told fans to “please keep trying and you should be able to access soon.”

“The stream is rolling but you can rewind to the start as soon as you get in, so you won’t miss anything.”

However, for many fans, the two-hour delay will mean a late finish, as performances were already due to run beyond midnight.

Proceeds from the show were intended to secure the future of Glastonbury festival, which has been forced to cancel for two consecutive years.

Now organisers will undoubtedly face thousands of demands for refunds.

Here are some of the responses from fans trying to access the show earlier in the night.

2px presentational grey line

Follow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

- Advertisement -

Discover

Sponsor

Latest

Queensland shooting: Two police officers, and member of public, killed at remote propertyon December 12, 2022 at 11:49 am

The officers were responding to reports of a missing person in Wieambilla - 270km west of Brisbane.Two police officers, and a member of the...

French far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen dies at 96on January 7, 2025 at 1:31 pm

Le Pen - an unrepentant extremist on race, gender and immigration - founded the far-right National Front in 1972.French far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen...

The Papers: ‘Crossbow horror’ and England’s ‘last-minute glory’on July 11, 2024 at 5:16 am

Thursday's front pages feature reports of a deadly crossbow attack in Hertfordshire and England's Euros semi-final win.Thursday's front pages feature reports of a deadly...

Narcocorridos: Mexico’s bloody drug ballads have American ears tinglingon February 11, 2023 at 1:23 am

A genre likened to gangster rap revels in the cartel wars and has listeners divided on its merits.A genre likened to gangster rap revels...

Designer John Galliano leaves Maison Margiela after 10 yearson December 11, 2024 at 5:46 pm

The 64-year-old joined the company in 2014 and has overseen a significant boost in sales.The 64-year-old joined the company in 2014 and has overseen...