Photo: WENN.com
Beyonce fans who had camped out all night for tickets to her show in Manchester found themselves caught up in a stampede when the box office opened.
Fans had camped out overnight at the MEN Arena on Friday to buy tickets when they went on sale on Saturday, but touts and gangs allegedly hijacked the queue and turned the event into a nightmare for fans.
One 25-year-old fan told the Manchester Evening News: "I stayed in the tunnel outside the Arena to avoid being crushed when all hell broke loose at about 5am.
"Men were ripping open fire doors that were locked. Once opened, they fought to get through one side of a double door. Children were getting crushed and screaming. It was horrible. By far the worst night of my life."
Another 15-year-old fan called it one of the scariest nights of her life.
"These men were smoking drugs, they were so aggressive and more and more turned up into the night. They were pushing in and drinking. We were all so excited about seeing Beyonce - we love her - but this was more like a nightmare."
Tickets for Beyonce's The Mrs. Carter Show have been eagerly awaited since the tour was announced two weeks ago, and demand was expected to be high.
A spokesman for Manchester Arena said: "Since the Beyonce dates were announced two weeks ago we strongly advised all customers not to travel to the venue box office as tickets could not be guaranteed due to the anticipated high demand.
"Unfortunately, when we opened our doors at 5.30am what had been an orderly queue immediately stormed the box office windows causing a potential crush.
"Despite the best effort of our stewards and security staff we had to involve British transport police in an attempt to restore order. Even then the safety of genuine fans could not be guaranteed and, following police advice, the box office remained closed.
Tickets for The Mrs. Carter Show sold out in just minutes
"This information was communicated via our PA system and customers were redirected to the offical website and phone line for tickets."
The anticipation of high demand was not unfounded. Tickets for Beyonce's tour sold out in just over ten minutes.
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