“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” Ticket Sales Break Records
Today, priority booking tickets for the upcoming play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child went on sale. It was only last week that we found out just what the play would be about, and the announcement that tickets would go on sale this week meant that there was a frenzy of excitement and panic.
The first wave of tickets were released to those who signed up to priority booking at 11 a.m. GMT this morning. Despite a mixed reaction to the play news (including the fact that the play would be split into two), it’s true to say that the Potter fandom was mostly incredibly excited but also rather anxious about obtaining tickets this morning. For many fans, this meant early starts and long waits in front of computer screens!
I’ve got tea, my bank card, a bag to be sick into, a bag to breathe into. #CursedChild, I am ready. — Melancholy Souleater (@AHintofMystery) October 28, 2015
Potter fandom this morning @HPPlayLDN #CursedChild pic.twitter.com/NYp9RYiV5t — Charlotte Morris (@charlieinabook) October 28, 2015
Watching the @HPPlayLDN pre-queue ticket countdown clock like. #thecursedchild pic.twitter.com/A13Sx8XrDB — Rosianna Halse Rojas (@papertimelady) October 28, 2015
While many fans encountered teething problems with the website, including being kicked out of line and losing tickets at the last minute, many were successful in obtaining tickets and took to social media to share their highs and lows.
The sheer relief of finally getting #CursedChild tickets after 6 hours of nervous excitement, panic & rage. Only 1 year & a day to wait. — Jen Griffiths (@Travelling_jen) October 28, 2015
@HPPlayLDN Took me an hour in queue this morning but thrilled to have tickets for #CursedChild in July 2016! ⚡️Can’t wait! #mischiefmanaged — Alison Braganza (@alibeeson) October 28, 2015
By the grace of Dumbledore, after 2 hours of waiting in the queue, we booked tickets for #CursedChild! London here we come…in 10 months. ? — Yasthil Maharaj (@YasthilMaharaj) October 28, 2015
Just got tickets for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child @HPPlayLDN If you gave up earlier, loads of dates have just been added.
— Jenny McLachlan (@JennyMcLachlan1) October 28, 2015
The demand for tickets was so high that a second wave of tickets was released this afternoon, booking from September 2016 to January 2017. For some users, there were issues with the ticketing companies, but many were successful in obtaining tickets, especially once the second wave of tickets was released. Following the release of extra tickets, a statement was issued:
Tickets for the first booking period (7 June–18 September 2016) for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child sold out during priority on sale today (28 October 2015), and as a result the [p]roducers have now put on sale seats for the second booking period to 8 January 2017 to those who registered for priority booking.
A second press release was also issued.
Tickets went on sale today at 11am (28 October 2015) for those who had registered for priority booking for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. This afternoon the [p]roducers released tickets for the second booking period to 8 January 2017, also to those who registered for priority booking. At 7pm this evening over 175,000 tickets had been sold for the play, which is unprecedented for a theatre production. On Friday (30 October 2015), when general booking opens, to ensure customers are given the best possible chance to obtain tickets, the [p]roducers will be opening up an additional booking period, details of which will be announced in the next 24 hours.
It’s certainly very clear that the Potter fandom is still very much alive!
There are still limited tickets available for the September to January period. If you weren’t successful with getting tickets today, then make sure to try again on Friday when a third wave of tickets for a later period will be released to the general public. Find out more about the play itself here, and read more about how you can get tickets in the press release below.
Since the record-breaking sales earlier today, warnings have been sent out by the official team behind the play has issued a statement warning fans not to buy tickets from resale sites.
We reserve the right to refuse admission to customers with tickets purchased on re-sale websites. Tickets purchased through either of our official ticketing platforms must not be sold or advertised for sale on the internet, in newspapers or elsewhere.
Were you surprised at how quickly tickets went, or were you expecting it? Were you successful in getting tickets? Did you encounter difficulties? Share your experiences with us in the comments!
