In an email addressed to fans who requested Christmas tickets in previous years, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir announced this year's tickets will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
If you've ever received tickets to see the choir's Christmas concert, you'll notice the enormous change from how they've sent tickets in years past.
Since tickets are completely free and demand is incredibly high every year, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has previously given tickets on a random selection basis—meaning no matter who you are, what timezone you live in, or when you register for eligibility, you supposedly had the same chance to get tickets as anyone else in your shoes.
But not this year.
According to the email, "the random selection method resulted in some processing delays, in people not being able to select the night for their tickets, and in other handling problems at the box office. This year patrons will be able to see which nights are available at the time they make their selection and will know at the end of their request which night their tickets are for."
All in all, it sounds like the change will be positive for attendees who are quick enough to claim tickets when the site makes them available.
If seeing the Choir at Christmas is a tradition for you, we sincerely wish you the best of luck.
The Choir also included answers to a few other important questions you might have regarding these tickets. We've listed many of them below.
• Will the website be able to handle a large volume of ticket requests?
The Ticket Office uses a system employed by large-scale sporting events that has a proven record of reliability. There should be sufficient bandwidth to handle a large volume of requests.
• What if I can’t get through?
If you don’t get through at first, please keep trying. You should be able to log on shortly.
• Are there any other options to get tickets?
Tickets will only be available online. There will be no ticket phone requests or tickets available in person through the Ticket Office.
• What if I can’t get tickets to the concerts?
You will have two options: (1) Patrons can stand by for last-minute seating each evening. The standby line forms at the north gate on Temple Square approximately two hours prior to the concert start time. Ticket holders are required to be in their seats 30 minutes prior to the concert. Seats that are empty 30 minutes prior to the concert will be filled by those in the stand-by line. (2) A limited number of tickets will be given away between now and the December concert dates.
• What if I don’t have access to the Internet?
We would encourage you to contact friends or family who might want to join you at the concert who have access to the Internet.