Glastonbury tickets 2016: What time they go on sale, how much they cost and top tips for getting one

Last year's tickets sold out in just 25 minutes, but there's no reason to despair just yet

Want to join this crowd? Read our handy guide to securing those golden tickets (Reuters)

Bagging Glastonbury tickets might be known as an even tougher challenge than mud swamps in the festival world, but that doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to skipping Worthy Farm's fun next summer.

The first batch of tickets goes on sale tonight but fear not - you still have a bit of time to round up your pals and prepare an onslaught.

Rumours are already swirling over which top bands will headline 2016’s shindig, with Foo Fighters and Adele among the current favourites. Organiser Michael Eavis has booked headliners for the next two years but if you want to be singing along in everybody's favourite field from 22-26 June, you’d best get your head in the game. Last year’s tickets sold out in just 25 minutes.

Firstly, you must have registered online to buy tickets. Unfortunately, registration closed at 9am on Tuesday. Check? If so, then here are our top tips to make the whole thing a little less daunting:

How many chances do I get to buy tickets?

There are 15,000 coach and ticket packages up for grabs from 7pm tonight. It is worth considering booking one of these to beat the crowds, but if you want to make your own way there, you can try the even crazier general sale at 9am on Sunday 4 October, when 120,000 are up for grabs. Tickets are sold at glastonbury.seetickets.com and you can book up to six in one go.

How much do tickets cost?

The 2016 ticket price has been confirmed as £228 plus a £5 booking fee per tickets. Children aged 12 and under do not need a ticket. The tickets include five nights camping and a free programme, miniguide, mobile app and firewood. There’s no need to pay the full whack this week, as you can pay a deposit and complete the balance next spring.

How do I prepare myself for the big moment?

1) Load up the ticketing website ahead of time. Ensure you have the registration numbers and postcodes for everyone you are booking tickets for, as well as the exact address details you entered when you registered. Tickets are not reserved while you enter your details be quick, but accurate.

2) Make sure you actually have enough money on your debit card, particularly if booking for a group.

3) Don’t try to book using multiple browser tabs as this can confuse the system. Open one tab, and have some faith.

4) You might get to a point where your page will not load any further. If this happens, press ‘back’ once and try continuing again from that point. If that does not work, close your browser and start again. Access to booking pages expires after ten minutes, when your registration number will be released for you to try again.

5) Don’t give up – you might be sitting at your computer for half an hour or more, entering your details multiple times, as there will be more people trying to get tickets than tickets available.

If they sell out, am I doomed?

No. You can always volunteer at the festival, working a set number of hours picking litter, stewarding or on the bar in return for free admission. Oxfam offers a similar scheme. There might well also be a resale of cancelled tickets ahead of the festival.

Who is playing?

The line-up is never announced until spring, but Eavis has already hinted that four of his six booked headliners will be returning to the Pyramid Stage and two will be first time bill-toppers. It could be Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Radiohead, Prince, Fleetwood Mac…or even Miley Cyrus.