Ticketek apologises after barcode entry fails record-breaking Ed Sheeran concert

Ed Sheeran fans have been warned to download their tickets to Friday’s concert early after a barcode glitch led to long delays for hordes of concert-goers on Thursday night.

Ticketek on Friday apologised to fans, many of whom were forced to queue outside the ticket giant’s MCG office to get their entry passes printed before the record-breaking Ed Sheeran concert on Thursday.

Ed Sheeran performs at the MCG, March 2, 2023.Credit:Rick Clifford

Concert goer Angelica James said the Ticketek app failed to load the barcode of the tickets used to scan fans through the gates. Others were unable to add tickets into their digital wallets.

Tickets for the concert were only able to be accessed via the ticketing giant’s app.

“[The app showed] the order number, customer ID and seating information but the thing that didn’t come up was the barcode,” she said. “It would just continue to load and then time out.”

James made her way to the front of the queue, assuming she would be able to get through the gate by showing the other details of her tickets.

Ed Sheeran performs to a sold-out crowd at the MCG on Thursday March 2.Credit:Rick Clifford

“It wasn’t until we got to the front that they were saying ‘no you cannot come through unless you have the barcode’,” she said.

Eventually, those clustered around the front of the line waiting for the app to load were told to head to the Ticketek office to get their tickets printed.

“There were thousands of people lining up [at the Ticketek office]. It was a sea. You literally couldn’t even tell there was a queue.”

James joined the line for the office, but as the start time for the concert edged closer, she tried her luck at another gate. They let her in with the other ticketing information she had on the app.

“We got to our seats with six minutes to spare. And that’s only because Ed was running a little bit late,” she said.

A spokesperson from Ticketek said a small number of app users were affected by the issue, which prevented users from accessing the barcode.

“Ticketek apologises to those fans who experienced a delay in entering the MCG for Ed Sheeran’s concert last night,” they said.

“We thank fans for their patience whilst Ticketek enabled a solution, which saw all fans admitted prior to the start of the concert.”

Sheeran will perform on Friday at the MCG for his second and final show in Melbourne.

The Friday night Melbourne show of Sheeran’s Mathematics Tour has broken records for the most number of tickets sold for an Australian concert at 107,000 attendees.

Ticketek encouraged those attending on Friday to download the app and access their tickets early.

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