MUSIC FESTIVALS

them,” Chan says. “Yes, it is expensive, and I acknowledge the privilege involved with paying for the camping kit, paying for food and drink, and for the ticket alone. But the experience of feeling safe, with like-minded people, with all the basics covered… I would be willing to pay for Glastonbury again, and again.”

Whilst it looks like the festival spirit is still instilled in some attendees who just want to enjoy a day out with friends, listening to good music and frolicking in the grass, some feel like it’s the right space to get pissed. It has somehow turned into a night out variety meaning that people just take it as an expensive way of getting legless and partying with a live music set in the background – it doesn’t even matter if Lewis Capaldi is joshing his heart out on stage if you have your seventh pint in hand and can’t see straight. Maybe that’s why prices have gone up too. A trip to party in Ushuaïa in Ibiza is expensive, so you don’t mind paying £200 for a ticket when you just need to catch a train instead of a flight.

Food and drinks have always been a way to extort the money out of your pocket your other two options are dehydration and starvation. It’s no surprise that private events rank up prices to make extra cash. In fact, I once saw £5 sausage rolls disappear within minutes at Slam Dunk in Leeds. But getting a pint at the O2 isn’t any cheaper.

“I save for my festivals and, because I go to so many, I budget throughout the year. I have a cash binder for my tickets and my spending money, because otherwise it would be so much out of my wages. It is something I have to plan for a lot more than I used to,” says Maddy Alexander-Grout, a consumer media specialist from Southampton who’s been to over 50 festivals. “Having gone for such a long period of time, I have seen the ticket prices and the beer prices going up so much. Back in 2000, tickets were £33 for a day and weekend tickets were £80, but now prices are £100 for a day and nearly £300 for the weekend, which is just insane.”

Maddy used to be a punk radio DJ and went to a lot of festivals for free back in the day. She admits she still attends a few because of her love for music and events in general. Her thrifty spirit pushed her to launch an app, Mad About Money, and she also uses her TikTok channel to spread advice about how to save money in a festival.

“Being prepared is really the only way to save a bit, but most of the festival expenses are inevitable,” she admits. Her words of advice include bringing spare sunglasses, sunscreen, and earplugs. “Think of all eventualities. If you want wacky festival gear, buy it in advance; take your own glitter… Just don’t buy anything there! That will add hundreds.”

“Price of food, drink, merch and accommodation (probably the biggest increase) have sky-rocketed. I can only assume this is because it’s becoming harder for the organisers to create these events at a reasonable cost, so therefore [they] have to pass these increases onto the vendors, who in turn pass it onto the festival goers”, says Kelly Vowles, who at-