London film fans were left frustrated on Monday morning after a technical glitch on the BFI website disrupted ticket sales for Sir Christopher Nolan's highly-anticipated epic The Odyssey. Tickets for a series of 70mm IMAX screenings went on sale at 8am, prompting thousands of cinephiles to join a virtual queue.
Many users reported reaching the front of the queue only to be kicked back to the end, with some suddenly finding themselves behind more than 15,000 people after waiting for almost two hours. One frustrated fan wrote on X: “@BFI I waited in the Odyssey tickets queue for almost 2 hours and finally got to my turn at 09:45 only to be redirected to a page that says I lost my place in the queue.” Others shared similar stories, with one user claiming they had reached position 387 before being sent back behind nearly 7,000 people.
As complaints mounted online, some cinema-goers began directing disappointed fans towards alternative screenings at London's Science Museum, which also boasts a 70mm IMAX screen. The BFI later acknowledged the issue and apologised to customers, stating: “We're aware of the issues faced by some BFI IMAX customers today as a result of our online queueing system. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience and disappointment caused.” The BFI added that its website was now operating normally and that tickets remained available for most screenings through August 17.
In the first two hours, the BFI sold over 20,000 tickets for what promises to be the cinematic event of the summer. The Odyssey boasts a star-studded cast including Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong'o and Travis Scott. The film marks Nolan's first project since Oppenheimer, which earned him his first Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture.
