Game of Thrones exhibition sparks long queues outside MCA

An exhibition about the popular television show opened on Tuesday at the MCA and the crowds converged like wildlings to the Wall.

But excitement faded once it became clear there was up to a six-hour wait to get inside on the opening day.

‘‘Are we pissed off? Absolutely. Do we want to get in? Totally,’’ Jo Gardner said, adding that she was more cold than excited after nearly six hours standing outside at Circular Quay.

‘‘We’re committed,’’ Caitlyn Frost said.

The two mothers had brought their families up from Canberra for the exhibition, leaving at 8am on Tuesday. When they arrived, they were told the wait would be three hours.

"We got told at the beginning it was 250 people were being let in every half hour,’’ Mrs Gardner said.

‘‘I would’ve rather paid $50 for a ticket than stand in line."

The group hoped to squeeze in more than 30 minutes inside the exhibition before it closed, before having to drive the three hours back to Canberra.

Silva David, 20, said he had spent his birthday standing in line but that he and his friend were dedicated to the cause.

Lol this is a lie! Line starts waaaayy beyond this point! #got#gameofthrones#mca#sydney#operahouse#hbo http://t.co/k7v52uYJSn — glitchgee (@glitchgee) July 1, 2014

 

A spokeswoman for the exhibition, which is being run by HBO and Warner Brothers, said they were getting people through as quickly as possible.

But given the popularity of the show, the fact the exhibition is free and that it is school holidays, she said long waits were inevitable.

At 5pm on Tuesday, security were no longer letting people join the line, inviting them to come back the next day.

Those at the back of the line were likely to only get half an hour or so inside the exhibition before it closed at 8pm.

The queue for the Game of Thrones exhibit is insane. I don't think I'll be getting in today. — Lauren (@ohmyloz) July 1, 2014

Four and a half hours later and still on line. Total dedication. #GOTExhibit — Brianna Lauren (@msbriannalauren) July 1, 2014

Once inside the MCA, fans face a further wait for two of the more popular exhibits - the Iron Throne and an Oculus Rift experience, where people wear a virtual reality headset and a pair of headphones for 90 seconds and become a member of the Night’s Watch, travelling up the Wall’s lift.

The MCA, which is just hosting the exhibition, has been buried under an avalanche of fantasy fans and is hoping for some overlap when Japanese artist Tabaimo's exhibition opens on Wednesday.

‘‘Hopefully people will wander in,’’ a spokeswoman said.

The Game of Thrones exhibition closes on Saturday.