First day of Fringe sales frustrated by system web crash

Published on Monday 9 June 2008 22:51

FESTIVAL-GOERS seeking tickets for the Edinburgh Fringe were frustrated yesterday as its internet booking system crashed on the first day of business.

Phone and box-office sales were also hit by delays as a new ticketing system ran into serious teething problems, a Fringe spokesman said.

"No tickets have sold on the web today. Phone and counter sales are also operating slowly," said a spokesman.

"We don't have any information on whether it will be operating tomorrow.

"It's really disappointing, but we are doing everything we can to sell tickets as normal, if not quicker in the future."

The Fringe sold 1.7 million tickets last year, and yesterday was the first day those for this year's August festival went on sale. It was unclear how many were sold.

The Fringe box office works a central ticketing system but sells only a limited share of tickets, with the venues accounting for the rest.

Earlier this year, the Fringe commissioned the Liquid Box Office system, from the Pivotal company, because the previous system had "reached its sell-by date", a spokesman said.

Websites operated by the four biggest venues at the Fringe – the Assembly, Underbelly, Pleasance, and Gilded Balloon venues – were operating as normal.