Are Proms more popular this year?

[cloughie]

And four candles in case the National Grid goes down again.

There’s always Light Cavalry!

[Bryn]

And four candles in case the National Grid goes down again.

Hmm. Very handy as shooting stick substitutes, I guess.

[Darkbloom]

I don't know whether they are more popular or not, but the new-ish queuing arrangements have made it much harder to get a place in the Arena for popular concerts. I don't know why they don't just sell them all online now and have done with it. I have been promming for twenty years, and despite showing up at 1pm the other day, I didn't stand a chance of getting into the WED concert. That's never happened before. I don't suppose it stands a chance of being changed now, so it's pointless complaining, but with the old system - irksome as it could sometimes be - at least you knew that people had made a commitment to go and it was part of the experience.

[LMcD]

It's fork handles - you should know that!

Is it really - well I never!

[teamsaint]

I don't know whether they are more popular or not, but the new-ish queuing arrangements have made it much harder to get a place in the Arena for popular concerts. I don't know why they don't just sell them all online now and have done with it. I have been promming for twenty years, and despite showing up at 1pm the other day, I didn't stand a chance of getting into the WED concert. That's never happened before. I don't suppose it stands a chance of being changed now, so it's pointless complaining, but with the old system - irksome as it could sometimes be - at least you knew that people had made a commitment to go and it was part of the experience.

Thats very disappointing.Sorry you missed out. In some ways the newer arrangements are good. For out of towners, the online system means one can travel in the certainty of at least getting in.

I’m not clear why actual queuing has been abolished though. Perhaps it could be reinstated for the more popular concerts....or waived for the day if demand is light?

As you say, with queuing, one trades time for money, which seems reasonable. And under the old system, you didn’t have to stay in your place all afternoon.

[Dave2002]

... I didn't stand a chance of getting into the WED concert. That's never happened before. I don't suppose it stands a chance of being changed now, so it's pointless complaining, but with the old system - irksome as it could sometimes be - at least you knew that people had made a commitment to go and it was part of the experience.

One year I got right of the front of the queue for a WED concert, and then the man came and put his hand in front of me, and that was that. I waited a few minutes and waited to see if he would allow any more to squeeze in, but he didn't. I don't think I queued from lunchtime though - perhaps 3 or 4pm. I think the last time I prommed was to a Charles Mackerras concert. Since then I've not bothered as legs can't cope any more.

I'm no longer sure that queuing for anything makes sense. The Swedish system of having queue ticket numbers is helpful - sometimes - though if one estimates the time incorrectly one has to keep going round and taking new tickets. Not sure if that could be adapted to the Proms queues.

Probably not, as people could/would abuse the system, and take queue tickets, and perhaps even sell them on!

[gurnemanz]

We've been twice this year, promming both times despite dodgy legs. Both times we just walked up about half an hour before start. Storgards/Shost 11 was not by design - West London roads in chaos due to Cycle Race. Last Sunday's marvellous Glanert/Mahler 4 was surprisingly sparsely attended. I can remember once - about 50 years ago - queueing round three blocks and still getting in..

[Darkbloom]

Thats very disappointing.Sorry you missed out. In some ways the newer arrangements are good. For out of towners, the online system means one can travel in the certainty of at least getting in.

I’m not clear why actual queuing has been abolished though. Perhaps it could be reinstated for the more popular concerts....or waived for the day if demand is light?

As you say, with queuing, one trades time for money, which seems reasonable. And under the old system, you didn’t have to stay in your place all afternoon.

I think the reasoning is that a long line of people could present a terrorist target. Like most of these decisions, it's more about presenting the appearance of doing something rather than actually being effective, but I don't suppose the RAH was given much choice.

[Anastasius]

.....
I’m not clear why actual queuing has been abolished though. ......

Target practice ?

Edit: Must read to end of thread before posting. Darkbloom gave the reason before me. It's not conjecture..I assure you. Actually Darkbloom it is very effective because it significantly reduces the window of opportunity.

[teamsaint]

Target practice ?

Edit: Must read to end of thread before posting. Darkbloom gave the reason before me. It's not conjecture..I assure you. Actually Darkbloom it is very effective because it significantly reduces the window of opportunity.

i’m aware that all crowded public spaces have to have policies on anti terrorism. It causes considerable avoidable issues for those managing such places.
Doesnt stop it being nonsense though.

[alywin]

Plus of course for the past few seasons whatever underground excavations they've been doing - and the associated reduction in usable entrances - have made it impossible for the Gallery day queue to go down Bremner Road as it used to. It remains to be seen what they will do with the queues next year.

[alywin]

And under the old system, you didn’t have to stay in your place all afternoon.

Really? You pretty much did, though, didn't you? I thought you had 30 minutes' grace for going off and buying food, going to the loo etc?

[Darkbloom]

Really? You pretty much did, though, didn't you? I thought you had 30 minutes' grace for going off and buying food, going to the loo etc?

There used to be a time when stewards were older and strictly enforced that rule, but that was at least 15 years ago. I think the new system is much more vulnerable to abuse, tickets are rarely checked, and because you haven't spent time queuing you don't know if people belong there or not.

[Dave2002]

There used to be a time when stewards were older and strictly enforced that rule, but that was at least 15 years ago. I think the new system is much more vulnerable to abuse, tickets are rarely checked, and because you haven't spent time queuing you don't know if people belong there or not.

I didn't really know about the queue tickets - how many years has that system been in operation? (https://www.royalalberthall.com/tick.../day-promming/) Previously there was clearly "abuse" of a sort which I guess was generally tolerated - up to a point - and perhaps even indulged in by some of us occasionally. This was if a group of people wanted to go together and one person would stand in the queue, then others would arrive and join him/her. While this might seem benign enough if everyone is going to get in, it's not fun for people at the end of the queue who eventually get bumped out in the case of very high demand concerts.

Does everyone in the queue now have to have a queuing ticket in order to get in, or is mere physical presence sufficient?

With a queuing ticket system, the form of "abuse" which I've highlighted above might not happen. People could share the same rough position in the queue in order to be sociable, but if strict arrival order were enforced at the entrance, then this form of queue jumping would be eliminated. I don't know how it actually operates - but maybe it's too hard to enforce a policy too rigidly, so unfairness still happens.

[Darkbloom]

I didn't really know about the queue tickets - how many years has that system been in operation? (https://www.royalalberthall.com/tick.../day-promming/) Previously there was clearly "abuse" of a sort which I guess was generally tolerated - up to a point - and perhaps even indulged in by some of us occasionally. This was if a group of people wanted to go together and one person would stand in the queue, then others would arrive and join him/her. While this might seem benign enough if everyone is going to get in, it's not fun for people at the end of the queue who eventually get bumped out in the case of very high demand concerts.

Does everyone in the queue now have to have a queuing ticket in order to get in, or is mere physical presence sufficient?

With a queuing ticket system, the form of "abuse" which I've highlighted above might not happen. People could share the same rough position in the queue in order to be sociable, but if strict arrival order were enforced at the entrance, then this form of queue jumping would be eliminated. I don't know how it actually operates - but maybe it's too hard to enforce a policy too rigidly, so unfairness still happens.

At one time they only used to bother with queue tickets for very popular concerts, then (when they replaced the older stewards) they did it for everything. That's fine if anyone bothers to check them, but it doesn't happen very often. I don't think they really care now and mostly want a quiet life and don't get involved unless an argument develops.