How did people book tickets for concerts and so on before the internet?

[Headphonesin]

I’m not even young, before I get a load of MNetters scorning my lack of knowledge, I just didn’t go to a concert until I was 35!

Even things like shows at the theatre, events on for kids - I hear about them all through social media and through websites, so wondering how people would go about it before good old google and Facebook?

They were sold in record shops, over the phone, and sometimes travel agencies.

There were ticket lines you called and they sent them or also they were sold in record shops etc. I remember friends going down to the record shop in town to buy Glastonbury tickets with cash.

Our theatre had ticket booths in shopping centres

Adverts in the newspaper.

Queuing at the box office.

Db used to queue up overnight at venue box offices.

Went to the actual box office. I was shocked recently when I went in the day about an event I already had tickets for, and it was closed.

I sent off for tickets for Glastonbury from an address in Select magazine, my mum must have given me a cheque to send. But also record shops.

You would sign up to a mailing list to get flyers or a brochure for events in the next month. Then ring the number on it!

Before being able to book over the phone you went to the venue in person or record shops.

Sitting for hours on the phone. 😬

My aunt worked at a large local venue and was able to get us tickets to a few concerts back in the day. I’m not actually that old, early 40s. 😂

Ah happy memories of hanging on the phone trying to score tickets for the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party. I never did get any. You'd ring and it would be engaged, hang up, ring again. On repeat. Before eventually giving up.

Some friends of ours queued all night for Live Aid (the 1985 one) and asked us if we wanted tickets.

We said no. WE SAID NO. WE FUCKING SAID NO.

We were young and very foolish.

I remember buying them in record shops, from the actual venue (which was often the town hall), indie clothes shops. I think I was 13 when I went to my first then went to just about every local indie rock gig going, I loved it. I'm 40 now and haven't been to one for about 5 years.

Trying to remember. Ticket hot lines yes. But general gigs, would you just turn up and pay? Pot luck. That must have happened too? Things were much less organised back then!

I slept out overnight to get tickets to see East 17!

Regular stuff like theatre etc you could get a programme, or there would be ads in the paper. Posters, billboards etc and you would go in to buy your tickets.

Used to find out about them in magazines/newspapers such as NME.

And we used to phone on a landline for big ones. I remember buying tickets for,Oasis at Knebworth and bought them by phone I think. I didn't have a credit card then though, but would have had a cash card so I assume that's how we paid.

Smaller ones we bought from venues either by iPhone or in person. I think some smaller ones were also sold in local record shops.

I did go to a few concerts back then, pre Internet, including some biggish venues. Can't really remember but assume mainly phoned and a cash card 🤷‍♀️

I don't remember it being as difficult to get tickets to even bigger concerts like the Knebworth concerts as it is now!

I lived in London. Back in the 80s there were tickets booths in theatre-land and they had long lists of upcoming gigs. You could buy them there.

Or you’d phone the venue, or go to their box office.

Go to the box office. Ring the phone lines. Even cinemas has their own phone lines where they would list every movie and time and you would have a number code for which time you wanted to attend to buy tickets, took hours on the phone and best to just show up and but tickets on the door

Went to the venue or clipped a firm from a paper.

Form

ticket booths in london,
i am not sure otherwise,
perhaps by phone?
at the theatre?

Record shops mostly. I used to go down to Tower Records or Virgin and buy tickets there.

I queued up outside Waitrose to get tickets to see Madonna!

As has been said, over the phone.

Venue box office (queued for hours to get tickets for popular gigs/concerts). If you were a member of a fan club you often got first dibs on tickets.

Record shops, ticket hotlines, box office at the venue.