I tried to get tickets for BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend and Ticketmaster surprised me

As a huge Sam Fender fan and a lover of The Wombats - I genuinely can’t return to Liverpool after going away without singing, ‘I’m back in Liverpool and everything seems the same’ - it was a toss up between Friday and Saturday for me.

I decided on attempting to get tickets for the Saturday - as a weekend gig felt much more practical - but I knew that it would be by far the trickiest, with Sam Fender’s recent tour tickets selling out very quickly and Radio 1’s Big Weekend being pretty reasonably priced.

Tickets went live at 5.00pm through Ticketmaster, with customers only able to purchase two per transaction for only one of the three days. I was pretty hopeful I’d be successful as I joined the waiting room just after 4.45pm and I live in Liverpool - where 50% of tickets were allocated.

But, Ticketmaster has failed me in the past - kicking me out of queues, crashing altogether or refusing to send me a verification code - so I was nervous.

After my screen refreshed at 5.00pm, I was disheartened to see I was almost 8,000th in the queue - despite joining at what I thought was well in advance. After five minutes, I was 6,000th - pretty speedy for Ticketmaster - and praying to the ticket gods that the website didn’t crash.

Although I’m seeing Sam Fender in Newcastle later this year, there’s just something incredibly special about seeing one of your favourite artists in your city - especially at Sefton Park which is truly one of my favourite places and hosts the best gigs.

By 5.10pm, I was at the checkout and wondering why my very valid L postcode wasn’t working. Turns out, I didn’t read the part where it said ‘UPPERCASE’. After typing it correctly, I quickly purchased my two tickets.

I’m absolutely thrilled to have bagged tickets for one of the biggest music weekends of Liverpool’s 2025 calendar and I’m surprised to say I think that might have been my best ever Ticketmaster experience. Bring on May!

How was your experience with getting tickets for Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Liverpool? Send me an email at [email protected] or leave a comment below.