"Loads of Southerners are coming up to Boro whilst people from the local area didn't get tickets. Hardly fair"


Many fans attempting to get tickets for BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Middlesbrough were left raging today (March 14), with a number complaining about the festival’s attempts to offer priority to those with a local postcode to the event.

Tickets were allocated into three pots as they went on sale this afternoon. Pot one was reserved for residents of Middlesbrough, pot two was for those living in the surrounding Tees Valley area, while pot three was for the rest of the UK.

However, many fans complained on Twitter that, despite having a local postcode, they were unable to access the tickets which were reserved for them.


“Shocking that someone who lives in Middlesbrough didn’t count for pot 1 or 2. Very disappointing,” said one fan. “I live a 10 minute drive from Stewart Park and I can’t manage to get 2 tickets?! Absolute joke man” tweeted another.

I have a Middlesbrough postcode (TS9) and couldn't access pot 1 or pot 2. And even though was on since 5pm didn't even manage to get rest of the UK tickets, but shocking that someone that lives in Middlesbrough didn't count for pot 1 or 2. Very disappointing. @BBCR1 #BigWeekend — Rose (@RoseLMcL) March 14, 2019

Probs got a family of 4 from London using my postcode in Middlesbrough!! Booking was a absolute joke ? — steven breward (@StevenBreward) March 14, 2019

@BBCR1 not happy! it's not recognising our postcode TS117HT for pot 2 for the #BigWeekend on ticketmaster ? — Rob Williams (@bobjimwilly) March 14, 2019

Had 6 devices all on pot 2 straight from 5 for Sunday, was in the queue for an hour and got fuck all. Yet people have managed to get 16 tickets? I live a 10 minute drive from Stewart park and I can’t manage to get 2 tickets?! Absolute joke man #BigWeekend #bigweekend2019 — Callum Kempshall ? (@Callum_shaw14) March 14, 2019

Loads of Southerners are coming up to Boro whilst people from the local area didn't get tickets. Hardly fair #BigWeekend — ? Feliz Labia ? (@KittieHill) March 14, 2019

Why is my Twitter full of southerners getting tickets for #BigWeekend whilst I sit in a queue?? Naaaaah — chlo ? (@xchloanne) March 14, 2019

Lmaooooo tickets sold out I can see Stewart’s Park from my window and can’t get tickets but Hartlepool can hahhaha bullshit I’ll just watch from my window shall I #BigWeekend ?? — Lauren Hopper ? (@lhopperx) March 14, 2019

Others, meanwhile, experienced site crashes when in the queue for tickets. “Oh here we go!! Big Weekend disconnecting and then saying ooops something happened to your connection. Happened to me, my laptop, mams iPad. Boyfriends phone. Soo annoying,” said one fan.

Has anyone even been successful with #BigWeekend tickets? Hashtag is filled with error reports. We keep getting kicked off as "there's a problem with the connection" @TicketmasterUK @BBCR1 pic.twitter.com/BkIOSpoUJ4 — Jonny (@jonnymarshall7) March 14, 2019

Oh here we go!! #bigweekend disconnecting and then saying ooops something happened to your connection. Happened to me, my laptop, mams iPad. Boyfriends phone. Soo annoying — Holly?? (@thot_hanks) March 14, 2019

I’m fucking heartbroken no way i’m getting these, been in pot 2 queue since they came out and people who got into the queue after me got theirs ? joke #BigWeekend — amy? (@pIanetswitchaz) March 14, 2019

It was confirmed last month that Middlesbrough will play host to the event this year, with an impressive bill led by Miley Cyrus, The 1975 and Mumford & Sons.

Last week, Greg James confirmed that fans can also expect performances from the likes of Stormzy, Billie Eilish, Vampire Weekend, Bring Me The Horizon, Pale Waves and Sigrid.