MUSIC FESTIVALS

Arrowsmith adds: “These days, there is more pressure to look good. You can pay for a shower, you can blow dry your hair, and there are mirrors to do your make-up. People bring a lot more clothing. If you are lucky, you can return on a motorised cart to your site. It does seem to split the audience, as glamping has taken a ‘we are all in it together’ attitude. It’s like flying; some turn left, and most go right.”

“There was definitely something special about the free events of the past that made it a freeing experience. This was also partly due to the lack of phones, internet and social media. You could safely get up to anything without any repercussions, a very liberating feeling,” argues Mavroudis. “There is however a backlash happening due to the middle-class glamping festival trend with lots of smaller events popping up all over the country that are essentially, going back to the roots of the traditional festival vibes.”

If we forget about our demands and requests, looking good, and the “pics or it didn’t happen” attitude, we can still find the true appeal of a music festival: fostering a sense of community and escapism and transcending musical boundaries. By immersing themselves in the captivating ambiance, attendees forge connections, make memories, and embrace the collective euphoria that permeates these events. Now we just need to accept the fact that a flight to Spain in summer is probably cheaper than a festival ticket.

There are still opportunities for those who want to live a grassroots music festival experience. Just like the Burdens, lots of people attend free or cheaper festivals – without having to succumb to BBC’s Radio 1’s Big Weekend – like Fishguard Folk Festival, First Light Festival, Little Orchard Cider, amongst many others. Some have been running for years, run by volunteers and supported by local councils and sponsors. Whilst the money might not be enough to pay commercial artists, the folk scene has remained intact. It just seems like we need to choose between seeing our favourite bands if they play on the radio or putting our savings towards an overpriced ticket. Props to those who can afford glamping, to festivals not only being a thing for twenty-something liberals, and for getting to add new music you never thought you’d like to your playlist. All are very valid options – this is definitely not a dusty old-fashioned point of view rejecting all change. Improvements have been made to line-ups in some cases were female artists have finally got more relevance and greener initiatives have taken the lead. Nothing against innovation, improvement, inclusion, and expansion – it makes the world better. But festival organisers out there, can we please make music affordable again?