06/10/2008 01:01:00
Half the tickets for 2009's Glastonbury music festival have been snapped up already, after early ticket sales commenced on Sunday morning.
More than 69,000 places were either reserved or bought by early Sunday evening, despite the eight-month stretch up to the famous Somerset event. Fans had a choice to reserve their tickets by paying a £50 deposit or to simply buy them upfront for £175.
The early sale comes after last year's festival event failed to sell out tickets in the first day.
Organisers had also revealed in September that fans could purchase an unlimited number of tickets for 2009's event.
Event spokesman John Shearlaw said he was "chuffed" that so many tickets had already sold for the event at Worthy Farm, Pilton. He told BBC News: "We are very calm about it - it's a vote of confidence."
He also said that the option to pay a deposit helped out students who wanted to attend the pricey event.
Glastonbury organizer Michael Eavis added that the new ticket-sale scheme was to ensure that tickets went to genuine fans, in addition to making it easier for them to pay by spreading the cost.
"[Last] 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."
Organisers also revealed in September that fans would be able to purchase an unlimited number of tickets for 2009's event.
Glastonbury 2008 saw over 130,000 festival-goers turn up in south west England to see acts such as Amy Winehouse, Leonard Cohen and US rapper Jay-Z.
Festival co-organiser Emily Eavis told BBC News in September that Glastonbury 2009 headliners would be announced "pretty soon." She said: "It's not Coldplay, it's not U2 and it's not the Rolling Stones."
She also revealed that Franz Ferdinand and The Ting Tings would be "somewhere on the bill."
Glastonbury 2009 will run for five days, from June 24 - 28.
