Lessons must be learned from TRNSMT chaos so fans don’t keep paying the price - Stephen Mcilkenny
That’s me just pitching how TRNSMT could brand the festival next year if they do not learn their lessons from the ridiculous queues we saw on Saturday at Glasgow Green.
What occurred on the afternoon of the festival was a dangerous and unacceptable situation that must never happen again.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdAt around 2:45pm my friends and I joined the back of the queue in The Gorbals having trekked around the entirety of the venue in the hope of finding the start of where we were to queue. Around half a mile from the entrance to TRNSMT. We were passing the Glasgow Green football centre when we heard the act we had wanted to see at 3:30 kick off their set.
The mood of the queue was toxic, rather than the carnival atmosphere one would expect, many simply couldn’t believe the incompetence of what they were witnessing. Many were desperately on the phone trying to find friends that were further up the queue, others were tirelessly scrolling through social media seeking information amid reports of people hopping the fence, while others simply sought shade.
One hour and 45 minutes or so after joining the queue in the baking hot sun we finally made it into the venue. No one had come round supplying us with water, no one had offered an explanation for why there had been such a delay - and no apology had been offered.
I wonder if the apology will be expressed in the early bird price next year… I very much doubt it.
People parted with hard earned money to see acts - to be literally cast out onto the curbs due to a lack of ability to process the demand. TRNSMT is not alone in this of late, recent events have seen prices sky rocket, but while fans pay more and more, the service and experience is worsening.
Events such as TRNSMT must begin to play their part.
No one expected to waltz in but £80 for a day ticket to spend almost two hours in the queue is no one’s idea of fun. While such emphasis is put on pure profit, organisers are losing sight of the experience, and dare I say it, safety.