More than 300 music fans queued from before dawn in Wolverhampton today as V Festival tickets went on sale. Queen Square was transformed into a sea of deckchairs and umbrellas as eager festival-goers braved the cold.

Phone lines were also ringing red hot from 10am. Civic Hall spokesman Jonn Penney said: “It’s absolutely crazy – fans are ringing the Civic for tickets, and we have to put them through to Midland Box Office. As soon as you put the phone down, it rings again.” The festival is at Weston Park on August 16 and 17.

Today’s queue snaked from the box office in Queen Square around the Prince Albert statue and into Dudley Street.

Armed with cups of coffee and snacks, 17-year-old Aimee Evans, of Cherry Tree Lane, Codsall, and Jenny Chambers, 18, of Chestnut Grove, Penkridge, were first in the queue at 4.15am. Jenny, who is studying travel and tourism at Stafford College, said: “We can’t wait to see Amy Winehouse. V is great because it’s local but you still get amazing bands.”

Aimee, an A-level student at Penkridge’s Wolgarston High School, said: “We’re freezing cold but it will be worth it. Other people started to arrive at 6am.”

Friends Talie Dredge, Dharj Lagah, Leyna Bansal and Ismat Shabnam were also in the queue.

Eighteen-year-old Talie, of Hawkswell Drive, Willenhall, said the group arrived at 8am and were looking forward to seeing Lenny Kravitz, Girls Aloud, Amy Winehouse and the Chemical Brothers.

Talie, a fashion student at Walsall College, said: “I’ve been for the past three years.” Ishmat, 19, of Lower Street, Tettenhall, is a University of Wolverhampton fashion student. She said: “I’m a bit nervous about camping, and I’ve heard horror stories about the toilets, but I can’t wait to see the bands.”

V attracts more than 100,000 people, and tickets were today set to sell out in record time. Last year, they sold out in three hours.

They cost £145 for a weekend pass with camping, £125 without camping, and £70 for a day ticket.