- Despite the global stereotype of Brits loving to queue, a new survey reveals that almost half say it’s the thing they hate most about attending events
- In fact, people are only willing to queue for an average of 36 mins to get into their favourite live experiences
- Heavy Metal fans are the most dedicated, being prepared to queue over three quarters of an hour to see their favourite artists to perform
- O2 is tackling the impatience of the nation by offering fast track entry at O2 venues across the UK as part of its Priority offering
Despite Brits being famed globally for a love of queuing, research reveals that in fact spending time queuing is the top thing Brits detest about going to events such as concerts or sports matches, with 24.5 million* (46%) revealing that they hate it.
Although the length some will take to get into their favourite events is well documented, including camping out at Wimbledon and Harry Styles gigs, new research from Virgin Media O2 has found that almost a third (29%) say that queuing for an event is something they “dread”.
Even with the promise of an exciting event on the other side, 48% say the worst part of queuing is needing the toilet, followed by not knowing how long the queue is going to last (43%).
Queuing is part and parcel of the live event experience for many, but when it comes to the most dedicated music fans, Heavy Metal lovers come out on top, willing to queue up to 46 minutes to see their favourite acts perform compared to Jazz fans who can’t bear to wait for even 30 minutes.
In fact, Heavy Metal fans have a history of being most committed to the cause of queuing, with research suggesting they’ve previously queued longer than other any music fans to get into gigs, having waited in line for 2.5 hours, compared to 1.5 hours for fans of Classical music.
The amount of time different fans are prepared to queue for a gig depending on their favourite genre of music:
- Heavy Metal – 46 minutes
- Drum and Bass – 42 minutes
- Rock – 40 minutes
- R&B – 35 minutes
- Pop – 35 minutes
- Soul – 33 minutes
- Classical – 32 minutes
- Rap – 31 minutes
- Country – 31 minutes
- House music – 30 minutes
O2 is tackling the impatience of the nation by offering fast track entry for Priority members and up to three friends at The O2 and O2 Academy venues around the country, via the Priority app.
Gareth Turpin, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Media O2 says: “While we’re typically thought of as a nation who love to queue, it seems standing in line for a live event can put a dampener on the whole experience. That’s why we offer our customers a range of Priority benefits at O2 venues across the country, helping to remove any queuing dread and make their experience even more enjoyable.”
If skipping the queue via fast-track entry was something offered more widely, 60% of respondents said they’d be more likely to go to live events, with 46% saying that a free cloakroom – also offered to Priority members – would also add to the likeliness of them buying ticket for an event.
Priority from O2 is available to all Virgin Media broadband customers and those on O2, offering them access to a range of exclusive offers and giveaways, as well as providing music and sports fans with access to incredible live events 48 hours in advance of general sale..
For more information about Priority head to: https://priority.o2.co.uk/.
ENDS
Notes to Editor:
*Extrapolation based on a UK adult population of 53,369,083 (World Population Review, 27.06.23)
O2 Academy Venues: Free entry to the Priority queue for the Priority member and three friends at selected O2 Academy venues. Only available on gig nights and for main room shows. Restrictions apply, please speak to an O2 Angel or a member of venue staff for more details. Not available at O2 Academy Liverpool.
The O2: Priority member and up to three guests can enjoy Priority access via the Priority queue at Entrance B for seated tickets and via the O2 Blueroom for standing tickets. Restrictions apply, please speak to an O2 Angel or a member of venue staff. This is only available to customers with Entrance B on their tickets.
Free charging and cloak room T&Cs here
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