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?

Phone or for some shows queuing at the box office . We are in Kent and my mum spent many an hour in queues at Wembley for tickets whilst me and my sisters were at school / uni / work . It worked though as we saw everyone - Live Aid , Queen in ‘86 , Springsteen to name a few

Awww sound cellar @Coraline353 loved that place

Sunday Times back page of the Culture part. Ring up the Barbican or Festival Hall etc, asap to reserve tickets, drive down in the afternoon of the concert (from Worcester!) Drive hime after Send cheque after booking, or pay at pickup.

This was 35 odd years ago!

I vaguely remember ceefax being involved for some things.

I definitely booked a couple of holidays by scrolling through and ring up.

gig tickets and the like I used to get through friends and work. Work would usually have some sort of contact with local box offices and you could order tickets that way. They’d usually advertise last minute tickets cheap too.

Dial
Engaged
Re-dial

For about 2 hours

My first concert was New Kids on the Block in 1990, our local bus company did a package trip. Felt so grown up at 16 heading off without our parents 🤣

You queued. Or you rang up. I can remember my mum trying to get tickets for something in the early 90s when the ticket line didn't have a hold service and we had an old-fashioned rotary dial phone without a redial button!

You would join the queue at the record store

I bought some from a travel agent that were doing ticket and coach travel together.
Other than that you stood outside the box office.

@katseyes7 I saw Bowie at Southampton Guildhall back in 1972 😱 we just went to the box office and bought the tickets back in the day.

Theatre tickets used to be widely available from a variety of locations, including record stores and travel agencies. Shopping centres were especially convenient as they often had ticket booths set up for quick access by patrons.

Experience the thrill of concert staging and live music, with easy access to tickets from record stores and travel agencies.

MrsScrubbingbrush
We used to just see the gig advertised in the music papers, and go to the venue for the tickets. Never had a problem, they'd never sold out.
My first gig was T Rex in 1972. That's just what you did then, isn't it?

Queued overnight twice, for Elton John and Genesis. There was a great atmosphere both times!
Glastonbury tickets were sold at the local record shop, along with other gig tickets.
Turn up and buy off the touts, sometimes for cheaper than face value.
Climb over fences/through toilet windows opened by ticket holding friends. Saw the Stones and U2 this way...

I always bought my tickets from independent record shops in the 90s. For gigs and for festivals. You could always get tickets quite close to the date of the event as well, even for massive events like Glastonbury. None of this booking a year in advance like the whippersnappers have to do now.

In 1984 when I was 15 we went up town to the town hall booking office to buy tickets to see Duran Duran just before they got really big ! I remember literally tipping out 2p coins and we were slightly short and the ticket box lady took pity on us and gave us the tickets ! This was my first ever gig.

It certainly was in the old days! It seemed so much easier then!

How to hear about it - posters, local newspapers, national newspapers and pop magazines for bigger concerts. But posters and flyers were a big thing.

How to purchase - telephone or box office at the venue. So much time wasted on hold or queuing.

I used to go to HMV on Oxford st to buy my Reading Festival ticket each year; I'd completely forgotten about that!

You went to a box office and actually queued up. If it was popular, you might queue up over night.

Used to go to the newsagent nearby that had a ticket office inside. Would queue hours before the ticket office opened for a good band.

Mid 90s I think we just bought tickets on the door for smallish indie gigs.

Not from the UK but we used to go to the local shopping centre to 'ticketech' I think it was called. A little booth selling all sorts of tickets for concerts, theatre etc.

Generally from record shops if in advance, sometimes by phone, it was a lot easier though to get tickets then though. I went to Glastonbury in 1984 and iirc it was a coach trip from our local travel agent that did a lot of coach travel. For local things it was at the door

Phone the ticket agent on the ad in the NME.

Record shop.

From the venue in advance.