Dismaland website 'unable' to sell online tickets as rumours of Banksy ploy grow

Investigation into claims problems created intentionally

Tickets to the bleak theme park-cum art show are proving very difficult to buy (Reuters) (Toby Melville/Reuters)

The website for Banksy’s Dismaland ‘bemusement park’ has announced it is "unable" to sell tickets online - fuelling rumours the artist is deliberately adding to depressing nature of the attraction.

Banksy's spokeswoman said the site had received over six million hits by Friday and a message posted on the site now says "we would like to apologise to anyone attempting to buy tickets online today".

"Due to unprecedented demand 'the UK’s most disappointing new visitor attraction' is currently unable to process online ticket sales," it adds.

The post on the Dismaland website

“This Saturday and Sunday August 22nd and 23rd tickets will only be available on the door.”

Dismaland, a dark theme park in the seaside resort of Weston-super-Mare, has been attracting attention from all over the world, with people queuing overnight in an attempt to get entry.

A spokesman for North Somerset Council said they were trying to establish if the difficulty in getting tickets online was a genuine problem or a deliberate ploy by Banksy.

Large numbers social media users speculated that it offered further evidence Banksy had intentionally built in the frustrating element to the ticket sales in an effort to deepen the dismal experience.

The website does state that online bookings would be taken again from Tuesday 25 August.