Glastonbury Scam Exposed the Million-Pound Web of Deceit
A private jet lifestyle, elite circles, and the promise of access to one of the world’s hottest tickets cloaked Miles Hart’s rise. Friends describe a charismatic school rival who could conjure a trip to Paris on a private jet at a moment’s notice. By the time the festival loomed for 2024, those promises had hardened into a mirage built on fake invoices and forged emails, leaving a trail of debt and anger in his wake. The BBC’s investigation chronicles how a former Millfield student’s swagger spiraled into a global ticket scam and the hidden costs that followed.
Hart’s background at Millfield School—an environment renowned for producing Olympians and notable alumni—lent him an aura of exclusive access. Former classmates recall him as sociable and witty, someone who could “get you in.” He launched into selling Glastonbury passes after school, insisting he had privileged connections through land near the site or via work with event partners. One veteran friend recalls being offered a wristband for entry years earlier, crediting Hart with entry when others could not secure tickets. Yet the festival’s official policy remains strict: See Tickets links tickets to photo ID, and the public narrative made it clear that any genuine access was tightly controlled. The early trust Hart built among peers became the seed of later deception, with some convinced he had a cache of 42 hospitality passes claimed to be allocated through his family’s land use near the festival.
Hart’s scheming expanded beyond casual sales. By the years preceding Glastonbury 2024, hundreds of customers were drawn into a deal network that ultimately involved around £1m in ticket sales via intermediaries such as an Ibiza promoter and a company called Star Gaze Entertainment. Some buyers were told Hart ran a catering firm with access to hospitality, and that his mother, Susannah Hart, could lever clubby connections. In reality, Glastonbury officials stated they had never heard of Hart’s allocations, and the promised tickets never materialized. The situation worsened as Space within group chats showed growing suspicion—one participant was confronted with the reality that the supposed hospitality passes did not exist and the situation escalated into a search for refunds and accountability.
The web Hart built extended into a wider circle that included a London nightclub receipt implying a £200k debt and a chain of money-mule schemes. A criminologist described how Hart allegedly recruited friends to open bank accounts and then used those accounts to relay illicit funds, with some of the accounts under fake names. Annamaria, Hart’s godmother, provided crucial context: Hart’s mother owed her substantial sums and, after a complex history of mortgage and debt, the family home was auctioned with Hart later bidding a £90,000 deposit only to see the cheque bounce. This broader network also included Kai Cant, the Ibiza promoter who claimed to offer hospitality tickets, and Star Gaze Entertainment, which allegedly sold hundreds of thousands of tickets but later shut down. The financial fallout extended to debt collectors and threats against new homeowners, underscoring how far-reaching the consequences of the scam were for Hart’s circle and their families.
Contact records, covert recordings, and police statements point to a sophisticated deception that culminated in a police inquiry into up to 50 allegations of ticket fraud related to Glastonbury 2024. A late-stage recording captures Hart telling an associate that he faced a “huge cash flow issue” and that an asset base worth “almost a billion euros” existed, alongside a legal warning that a group was demanding payment within weeks. Hart acknowledged debt and described his involvement as a misstep, but he has not fulfilled repayments, according to the BBC’s reporting. Meanwhile, Kai Cant reported paying back those who bought tickets via his channels, Star Gaze Entertainment has disappeared, and the new owner of Hart’s former home has installed extensive security after being targeted by debt collectors. The Metropolitan Police confirmed ongoing investigations, and Hart’s exact whereabouts remain unknown, with the last sighting near Glastonbury just days before this year’s festival.