25 replies to this topic

[Vogue]

This is just a general question regarding all festivals, but Glastonbury in particular. Is there a reason behind the yearly price increase? The price of festival tickets seems to increase every year- from around £80 in 2000 (so I've been told!) to almost £200 this time around.

I have always thought Glastonbury to be interested in keeping the price as low as possible, so does the festival cost more to produce every year, or is it simply a chance to make more money as the tickets will still sell out at this price?

I think certain festivals are definitely worth the high price tag and I won't be missing out next year, but if the price continues to increase I know I won't be able to afford it for much longer!

[llcoolphil]

Vogue, on 01 September 2010 - 07:54 PM, said:

This is just a general question regarding all festivals, but Glastonbury in particular. Is there a reason behind the yearly price increase? The price of festival tickets seems to increase every year- from around £80 in 2000 (so I've been told!) to almost £200 this time around.

I have always thought Glastonbury to be interested in keeping the price as low as possible, so does the festival cost more to produce every year, or is it simply a chance to make more money as the tickets will still sell out at this price?

I think certain festivals are definitely worth the high price tag and I won't be missing out next year, but if the price continues to increase I know I won't be able to afford it for much longer!

Costs increase every year and so ticket prices have to match it. The price of everything from the cost of diesel, wages security staff earn, the costs the police want (remember the police will have had a pay rise since last year and it has to be paid for from somewhere, renting equipment and land. It all goes up every year.

[reallife]

It is a bit of a double edged sword for Eavis though I reckon, he's always saying he wants to encourage the younger element to go but with prices like this, there's possibly a leaning towards only the middleaged and older being able to afford to go.  At the same time, it's got to be a massive thing to put on and they will be working on it all year round, it's  got the population of Oxford for 5 days, that's got to cost.

I'll pay and keep paying... what price happiness/bliss?

[llcoolphil]

reallife, on 01 September 2010 - 08:09 PM, said:

It is a bit of a double edged sword for Eavis though I reckon, he's always saying he wants to encourage the younger element to go but with prices like this, there's possibly a leaning towards only the middleaged and older being able to afford to go.  At the same time, it's got to be a massive thing to put on and they will be working on it all year round, it's  got the population of Oxford for 5 days, that's got to cost.

I'll pay and keep paying... what price happiness/bliss?

What's the difference in price between Leeds/Reading and Glastonbury? Negligible I would imagine and the kids manage to get there in sizeable numbers. The biggest hindrance to getting kids there is that school hasn't finished and the festival falls bang in the middle of A levels.

[she bangs the drums]

There is no difference between Glasto and the other major festivals, R & L has gone up in price from £80 in 2000 to £180 in 2010 and will no doubt go up another £10-£15 next year.

The fact is that music festivals are as popular as they have ever been and the major ones Glasto, V, R & L, T in the Park nearly always sell out straight away.

Will Glastonbury sell out this year at £200? of course it will, it's just a case of whether you feel it is value for money as if you don't there will be someone else waiting in the wings to take your place especially after a very sunny year and with no festival taking place in 2012.

[Alcatraz]

Fuels costs always rising, things like that

[MEGABOWL]

6 foot lizards

[amfy]

Being pedantic I remember that it was something like £94 or £98 in 2000 (definitely over £90) because I had the money in my pocket whilst wandering round the fence for hours on end. I was a rubbish fence jumper, and in the end went to the gate to try to pay in - but they said I had to go to the bookshop in Glastonbury in the morning to get a ticket, so I wandered around some more and eventually found my way in.

I only ever got in without a ticket that once and they put a up a super-fence after that!

On topic - it's a little dearer than other festivals for a lot more festival. The price of pretty much everything goes up every year so I wouldn't expect it not to. The police bill alone on Glastonbury is £1.4 million! The extra day of arrivals last year may have caused them to bump that a bit for a start.

[Guitargeek4]

MEGABOWL, on 01 September 2010 - 10:46 PM, said:

6 foot lizards

I love this pot.

Edited by Guitargeek4, 02 September 2010 - 09:52 AM.

[FunkyDenz]

You are right, Glastonbury is too expensive. A complete rip off. I wouldn't recommend anyone buying a ticket.















Right, hopefully that's put some people off, and will make it easier for me to get my ticket.

[t0paz]

Guitargeek4, on 02 September 2010 - 09:51 AM, said:

I love this pot.

I wondered what people had been smoking  

The price increase isn't unexpected. I'm just happy the campervan ticket hasn't gone up

If you can show me where you can get the same experience for less, I'll be very interested to hear...

[fraser_k]

I always thought they just kept the tickets in line with all the other major festivals in the UK?

[The Nal]

I reckon they've increased ticket prices to earn more money.

[FunkyDenz]

The Nal, on 02 September 2010 - 02:29 PM, said:

I reckon they've increased ticket prices to earn more money.

It's a 5.4% increase, which is less than the 5.7% increase from 2009 -> 2010, and is only 0.4% above this month's RPI (retail price index) of 5%. This equates to an above inflation rise of 74p. It's not going to earn them much more money.

[Vogue]

This all makes perfect sense   I'm certainly not complaining about the price, I'll keep paying up until the day that I really can't afford it- I think this price for festivals, not just Glastonbury, is worth it for a brilliant weekend..just curious about the reason behind it all.

Another question, when do you think the point will come that the price cannot increase any more? For the majority of festivals, the price increases by £5-£10 every year- surely this can't happen forever!

[FunkyDenz]

Vogue, on 02 September 2010 - 04:03 PM, said:

This all makes perfect sense   I'm certainly not complaining about the price, I'll keep paying up until the day that I really can't afford it- I think this price for festivals, not just Glastonbury, is worth it for a brilliant weekend..just curious about the reason behind it all.

Another question, when do you think the point will come that the price cannot increase any more? For the majority of festivals, the price increases by £5-£10 every year- surely this can't happen forever!

When the major festivals such as Glastonbury don't sell out, because of the price. I'd imagine there would be a price freeze for the next year, however this would come at a cost of reduced entertainment, a few less bands, or a late night area disappearing.
If they continue to increase the price by around 5% a year, then this will continue to be affordable for most people, after all the increase is only the equivalent to the cost of a cinema ticket and a pizza, or 8 pints of lager (5 pints at London club prices)

[jameshunt]

fraser_k, on 02 September 2010 - 02:24 PM, said:

I always thought they just kept the tickets in line with all the other major festivals in the UK?

Vice versa.  Galstonbury charges what it needs to in order to deliver the amazing amount of entertainment, whilst meeting the security requirements and other licensing restrictions and strives to make a reasonable profit to be donated to charity.

Other large festivals charge up to what Glastonbury does in order to make as large a profit as possible for what are in effect nothing more than 3 day open air concerts.

[4AssedMonkey]

jameshunt, on 02 September 2010 - 06:30 PM, said:

Vice versa.  Galstonbury charges what it needs to in order to deliver the amazing amount of entertainment, whilst meeting the security requirements and other licensing restrictions and strives to make a reasonable profit to be donated to charity.

Other large festivals charge up to what Glastonbury does in order to make as large a profit as possible for what are in effect nothing more than 3 day open air concerts.

Funnily enough I suspected this and was going to post as much.  So stop stealing my thoughts (goes to fetch tinfoil hat)....

[rexclark]

The Nal, on 02 September 2010 - 02:29 PM, said:

I reckon they've increased ticket prices to earn more money.

Well he does need a new bike and they don't come cheap.

[FunkyDenz]

rexclark, on 02 September 2010 - 08:31 PM, said:

Well he does need a new bike and they don't come cheap.

Sure they do. I picked up one for free whilst the festival was on. It was just sitting next to a house round the corner from the site, a black Kona Eighty Eight. Only problem was some bugger had already nicked the mud guards.