Sefton Council has responded to complaints about long queues at the bar during the opening night of Salt and Tar in Bootle, where Billy Ocean performed to a sell-out crowd on August 13. Fans praised the singer's performance but criticised waits of over an hour to get served.
Fan complaints about bar waits
Several concertgoers shared their frustration on the ECHO's Facebook page. One fan said: "80 mins to get served a joke." Another added: "Loved Billy Ocean but would never wait 1 hour plus to be served at the only bar again." A third commented: "It was an amazing night but what let it down was the an hour and a half wait to get served at the bar." A fourth said: "The bar situation was deplorable. Been to many a concert this year and this bar is the worst. 40 minute wait is not acceptable."
Council statement on operational issues
The ECHO contacted Sefton Council, which runs the cultural venue and music hub in Bootle. A spokesperson said: "We’d like to thank the thousands of people who came to the first night of our 2026 Salt & Tar weekender to enjoy the amazing Billy Ocean."
"Gates are open throughout the event days from 4pm until 7pm and we encourage ticket holders to ensure they get to the venue as early as possible so they can go through standard security and ticket checks which keep patrons safe."
"This is the first time we have held the Salt & Tar weekender at Lock & Quay and while we are delighted at how well the first night went, we appreciate there can be operational issues which present challenges."
"We are aware of comments about extended wait times due to popular demand and are working hard to mitigate this as the weekend progresses."
Event continues with The Waterboys
The council added: "We look forward to welcoming huge crowds once again this evening for The Waterboys." Salt and Tar's home site is currently expanding, which has led the Music Weekender to move to Lock and Quay's event site while work continues.
