Rainbow Serpent Festival has sold out, but you won't find that stated anywhere on their website. Instead, they're marking their impending 20th anniversary by stepping up tactics to disable scalpers.
Its website states "online ticket sales for Rainbow Serpent Festival 2017 have now ended and there are no more physical tickets available in shops and there will no gate sales for 2017", which in anyone's parlance is a sellout. While other festivals would be thanking everyone involved and headlining this from their tent tops, Rainbow Serpent's website is leading with its policy to defeat opportunistic scalpers.
Organisers have set up a refund register for ticket owners to sell back for a refund which in turn allows the tickets to be re-sold at original face value to genuine punters – and not opportunitic parasites. Festival Marketing and Communications Director, Tim Harvey, told scenestr capacity was reached "three weeks ago", and the company is imploring people not to risk purchasing tickets through auction sites like Gumtree and eBay.
A statement released by Rainbow Serpent reads, "Since we have reached capacity so early and in an attempt to combat scalping we are very pleased to announce that we have created a waiting list for people who still wish to purchase tickets directly from us at face value.
We have also now opened up refunds for people who are unable to attend. You will be placed in a queue based on when you registered (first registered first offered.)
When a ticket becomes available, the next person on the waiting list will receive an email notification and will be given 72 hours to purchase the ticket. If the transaction is not completed in the allotted time the opportunity to buy will be forfeited and the ticket will go to the next person on the waitlist."
For an insightful glimpse at some of the reasons behind Rainbow Serpent's success, check this chat with Tim six weeks ago.
Lucky ticket holders wil be treated to this 2017 Rainbow Serpent line-up.
