R1 Big Weekend: ID panic

[TheMeatyDrop]

I bought tickets for my 16 yr old DD & her friend to go to this event at the wknd. After purchase I noticed something about needing photo ID, listed ones were passport, drivers licence & PASS card.

My DD doesn't have a passport. She is too young to drive. She has never needed a PASS card to prove age so doesn't have one. I contacted ticketmaster help & they said given her age she'd be fine to take a copy of her birth certificate & bank cards corroborating her name.

Now the event is looming I've received emails etc from BBC with helpful info including statements entry will ONLY be with one of these 3 photo ID things.

There are no direct contact details for the event organiser on anything I've been sent.

I've tried reaching out to BBC via social medial, WhatsApp, email... no response.

I've recontacted Ticketmaster for clarification, they are now saying: ummm not sure.... contact event organiser (of which I hsve no contact details, event is a pop up event in a park so no fixed address, i have asked & hoping to be sent this tm as event is on Friday).

WTF am I meant to do?

I've spent what for us is a lot of money on the tickets, plus the time & cost at wknd to travel, for a rare break mid-gcse for 1 night for them to let loose after 3 wks of exams and I feel sick that if we go they'll now likely get refused at the gate which will really upset them & me.

Or I don't take the risk & loose the money & their only chance to do something special this half term (as no money for anything else). And they'll still be upset cos they don't get to go.

Does anyone have any advice, experience of entry to these things with ID for 16 yr olds? Surely loads of ppl don't have passport or drivers licence at all ages, are they excluded from events or what?

Alternatively anyone have any past experience of entry to previous BBC Big Wknd events or contact details for the organisers!

I feel so upset & angry places like this can take your money then you can't contact them to clarify vital stuff. BBC should be doing better than this. We can't be the 1st ppl in this position!

I had a quick look and it read to me like it's you as the ticket purchaser that needs ID and it might not even be checked anyway ? It said that under 18's needed to be accompanied by a responsible adult.
You're right, you can't be the only ones with this problem.

How long does it take for a PASS card to come through?

You can get a provisional licence is there is time.

We had a similar situation a few years ago. They want to ensure that you gifted them the tickets and they weren't bought via a tout. I think DD had a copy of my Ticketmaster receipt and a photo of my credit card which I had used to pay. In the end nobody checked id.

For those asking, you can't get a provisional license or PASS card on Wednesday night for this weekend.

It's 15 & under who need someone 18+ with them

You could get an emergency appointment with the passport office and get her a passport? They do same day appointments.

At 16 they can go in without an adult.

Altho I have considered getting myself a ticket if It meant I could get them in on my ID but I'd also need ticket for DD2 then so overall that'd double the cost of the treat for DD1 to go which is bonkers.

I'm furious there's no helpline or live chat from an establishment event! Where kids age 16 can go in alone, and also for eg medical / accessibility queries relating to attendance.

I can feel the clock ticking as we'd need to get sorted tm eve to go straight from school Eng Lang gcse exam tm & direct from work for me! What a shambles.

It’s Wednesday night, of course there isn’t time.

Does she have any photo id at all, like a gym card or a sports pass or anything? I would take that if so along with her paperwork. I think it's quite likely it won't be so rigid as the emails suggest.

Sorry is this because of her age or just in general. They didn't check any ID last year just tickets and off you go though obs everywhere may be different but they just wanted people in quick as

Was this a Big Wknd event?

I honestly don't know what to do. Not just for my DD but her friend (who does have a passport) it's a big deal them taking a night off for something like this & would have such a negative impact on them both if they couldn't get I'm cos of my DD's lack of photo ID.

@teenagerooster no other photo-style ID I can think of. Prev passport expired when she was 5 yes old. Not sure they'd accept that!

Tbh ID feel a bit iffy about her taking & not loosing a passport if she had one at a place like that, trying to think if there's anything school-wise with a photo that would be digital. But would they accept it anyway.

I went last year (or year before...time flies) and nobody was checking any ID. Too many people for that.

I hope you manage to sort this out, I've been there and it's sooo stressful.

Well it clearly states what ID is needed. Does she look older than her age? As if so she may not get asked. I’d explain the situation to her and just say your going to have to risk it. Or see if there is another family there that they can walk in with therefore won’t need ID as she’d be walking in with an adult.!

Makes it not feel family friendly at all.
Or inclusive.
Loads of ppl won't have a passport or drivers license.
And if they aren't chking anyway why pretend they will be when it excludes certain groups of society from feeling they can go as they don't have those particular ID.

I remember my first outdoor big gig event. Age around 13-14. Manc Old Traff I think it was. Simply Red. Paper ticket. No ID. None of this stress or worry.

Yeah they barely checked bags never mind ID

Hope you get it sorted though. Or a actual answer from them

OK, this isn't guaranteed and is a bit round the houses. But just looked it up and you can buy a young person's railcard and if you don't have a passport or driving licence, you 'may' be able to upload a scanned birth certificate as ID. If that worked then at least she'd have a photo id in the form of the digital railcard, which would be available straight away on her phone, which would show her age. Worth trying?

I don't have any photo ID. I've been to more than 20 events that claim to require photo ID and I've never been asked for it once.

If it was just me I'd take the risk but this would be a big deal to my DD if it didnt go to plan. Getting ready, travelling over, her friend getting her parents to agree a night off study... if we were unlucky enough to get a flat no at the gates it'd be really harmful to her mentally at the mo I think, and embarrassing.
I am just p1ssed now at the wasted money too. This isn't disposable cash to us. It's treat money that can't be replaced. I'd sell my tickets but it's not been enabled on ticketmaster & the event isn't sold out either so I'd have to sell at a loss if I did.

You can sell them on Twickets at face value. They've been going on there today at that price. It's a good site for resale, no one can charge above what they paid. I've used it and been able to get rid of tickets quickly.