They do say that good things come to those who wait and so it proved for many waiting on Ed Sheeran tickets.
Given the seemingly insatiable appetite for all things Ed Sheeran in Ireland, it was always likely that there was going to be an incredible demand for his seven Irish dates next summer when they went on sale on Saturday morning.
People had been queuing since early on Friday in an effort to secure the precious tickets, while laptops and all sorts of electronic devices with Internet accessibility were readied to try and beat the online queue when they went on sale at 9am on Saturday.
Despite plenty of fans complaining about being stuck in a queue for ages, Ticketmaster and Aiken Promotions repeatedly assured them that there were still tickets available, with their most recent update (at the time of writing) coming shortly before 11.30am on Saturday morning.
#Tickets for @edsheeran Irish dates go on sale in 15 minutes!
Log into your account now.
Tickets https://t.co/1oLBKRpka6#EdIrishTour pic.twitter.com/B84Al91csc— Ticketmaster Ireland (@TicketmasterIre) July 8, 2017
It's a busy morning and we're selling tickets fast. To ensure fair access some of you may see queue pages, please follow the instructions. pic.twitter.com/ijtCbZHl7Q
— Ticketmaster Ireland (@TicketmasterIre) July 8, 2017
Tickets for @edsheeran Irish dates are still available, hold tight! Don't refresh the queue page. pic.twitter.com/eMhjH5g325
— Ticketmaster Ireland (@TicketmasterIre) July 8, 2017
Sit tight! #Tickets are still available. The site is very busy, stay in the queue and don't refresh!! #EdIrishTour pic.twitter.com/hI2ZJMjU6q
— Ticketmaster Ireland (@TicketmasterIre) July 8, 2017
Don't give up. The site is very busy, stay in the queue! #Tickets still available for @edsheeran Irish dates #EdIrishTour pic.twitter.com/IV8VW0Xuwg
— Ticketmaster Ireland (@TicketmasterIre) July 8, 2017
Tickets still available for @edsheeran Irish Dates. Don't give up! pic.twitter.com/t8G8RuqngH
— Ticketmaster Ireland (@TicketmasterIre) July 8, 2017
While most fans who were stuck in a seemingly interminable queue assumed it was because the gigs were sold out, it appears that some who waited (and waited… and waited) eventually saw their patience rewarded.
Just got a Standing for Ed Sheeran in Cork nearly 3 hours after they went on sale. Hold on people!! @aikenpromotions @TicketmasterIre
— ForeverFeel1ng (@ForeverFeel1ng) July 8, 2017
And use multiple devices!! My laptop was on the "sit tight" message since 9:20am. A Half-hearted search on my phone got it ??
— ForeverFeel1ng (@ForeverFeel1ng) July 8, 2017
@aikenpromotions just got tickets for fri in dublin after 2 n a half hours! Hold in there!
— Danielle Lennon (@danni_lennon88) July 8, 2017
Just got @edsheeran Galway tickets after 2 hours and 15 mins of trying ?? don't give up @aikenpromotions @TicketmasterIre @StuartCamp
— kel (@justmeinnit) July 8, 2017
finally got standing tickets for cork after 3 hours ? keep trying!!
— Ali (@alisonxgleeson) July 8, 2017
Finally got my tickets after 3 long hours @StuartCamp ! Travelling to Ireland for the first time to see @edsheeran ??? pic.twitter.com/5UWmvpxxLK
— Peter (@peterpmartins_) July 8, 2017
After 2 hours and 40 minutes I finally got tickets for @edsheeran in cork ??thanks @TicketmasterIre for all the stresssssss
— Clara Balls (@claraogrady15) July 8, 2017
If you didn’t get your hands on a ticket, meanwhile, don’t give up hope just yet.
Shortly after announcing his tour dates last month, it was revealed that Sheeran had partnered with an official face-value resale partner, Twickets, for next summer’s tour, ensuring that any tickets resold for any of his gigs will only be valid if bought and sold (for face value) through Twickets.
While that might mean that less tickets are available as a result, it does mean that if they do become available, that fans won’t be fleeced for them by greedy touts.
Plus, there’s a long time to go until May 2018 so keep the faith.