Does anyone else feel ripped off?

[knivesout]

reading holds a fairly firm place in my heart; it was my first festival and i thought it was the absolute dogs bollocks. several years, a few readings and a few glastonburys later, it just seems hard to look on the event with a huge amount of excitement or affection. i'll be here this year, for the obligatory post gcse result piss up but after experiencing glastonbury and what a festival can really be, reading just doesn't really seem to cut the mustard. a big reason i guess is value for money; reading charges £200 a ticket for only 6 stages, an oppressive campsite arena system, nothing in the way of after hours entertainment, corporate branding everywhere, bad organisation, bad toilets, little atmosphere, no site decoration to spruce things up and a not particularly fantastic lineup (which is, in the end, the festival's only real selling point), whereas at a festival like glastonbury, for the same price (slightly less even, now i think) you get a 1100 acre site, hundreds of stages, much else to do than just watch flavour of the month bands on large stages, better organisation, often better bands, huge areas devoted to after hours partying going on until the early morning and even a free souvenir programme that's actually worth reading, a booklet with a proper wallet with all the stage times and a free bag given to you free as you go in. the same items at reading+leeds cost £8. almost a tenner to know the stage times, that's just taking the piss. plus, people don't feel the need to act like complete twats - there are other things to do at night than burn tents.

as fun as i know the festival can be, it just seems to be in the end, nothing more than a gigantic money spinner for festival republic.

[Vacant0]

Paragraphs are your friend...

But aye, ye, last few times I've been to Reading I've felt like I was being mugged - which is part of the reason I've stopped bothering with a weekend ticket.

[knivesout]

would that be vacant0 off rfo?

if so hey, it's alexcanwait.

[mrtourette]

reading holds a fairly firm place in my heart; it was my first festival and i thought it was the absolute dogs bollocks. several years, a few readings and a few glastonburys later, it just seems hard to look on the event with a huge amount of excitement or affection. i'll be here this year, for the obligatory post gcse result piss up but after experiencing glastonbury and what a festival can really be, reading just doesn't really seem to cut the mustard. a big reason i guess is value for money; reading charges £200 a ticket for only 6 stages, an oppressive campsite arena system, nothing in the way of after hours entertainment, corporate branding everywhere, bad organisation, bad toilets, little atmosphere, no site decoration to spruce things up and a not particularly fantastic lineup (which is, in the end, the festival's only real selling point), whereas at a festival like glastonbury, for the same price (slightly less even, now i think) you get a 1100 acre site, hundreds of stages, much else to do than just watch flavour of the month bands on large stages, better organisation, often better bands, huge areas devoted to after hours partying going on until the early morning and even a free souvenir programme that's actually worth reading, a booklet with a proper wallet with all the stage times and a free bag given to you free as you go in. the same items at reading+leeds cost £8. almost a tenner to know the stage times, that's just taking the piss. plus, people don't feel the need to act like complete twats - there are other things to do at night than burn tents.

as fun as i know the festival can be, it just seems to be in the end, nothing more than a gigantic money spinner for festival republic.

Edited July 4, 2011 by mrtourette

[swede]

If you feel ripped off then dont go, simple as ! I havent been to Leeds since 2008 and have done Glasto 2009-2011 but im going to Leeds this year knowing it is going to be nothing like what Ive experienced at Glasto but Im not bothered as im not going for the same experience. Glasto is more about the experience, so much that I took my two kids aged two and four this year who had a great time, whereas Leeds is all about my love for the bands, some that will never play Glasto and my chance to just let loose watching shit loads of bands. TBH I cant f**king wait to be in a smaler site than Glasto, get messed up and go f**king mental to the likes off Offspring, JEW, MCR ect.

[Joe-]

I do somewhat feel ripped off, not sure why.. there's tons of bands I want to see and some good ones. No idea why.

[mrtourette]

Probably because there's limited wow factor this year. A lot of people can handle seeing wow factor and high ticket prices (even if they don't like the wow factor) but have a hard time seeing no wow factor and high tickert prices (even if they like the line-up). People like to see their money being spent even if they don't like what it's being spent on rather than seeing it in the pockets of the organisers.

[Chavmeisterdeluxe]

You could compare it to V who charge about a tenner less and is only a two day festival. comparing anything to Glasto is gonna make it seem less impressive.

[dirtymookie]

You could compare it to V who charge about a tenner less and is only a two day festival. comparing anything to Glasto is gonna make it seem less impressive.

[let's 'ave it!!!]

I don't feel ripped off at all, the amount of bands I plan on seeing makes it worth more than the £200 i paid, plus you get 4 days of camping, people really need to stop whinging all the time. Come 25th August it will all be forgotten and the self same moaning people will be there having a fabulous time!

[Benj]

reading holds a fairly firm place in my heart; it was my first festival and i thought it was the absolute dogs bollocks. several years, a few readings and a few glastonburys later, it just seems hard to look on the event with a huge amount of excitement or affection. i'll be here this year, for the obligatory post gcse result piss up but after experiencing glastonbury and what a festival can really be, reading just doesn't really seem to cut the mustard. a big reason i guess is value for money; reading charges £200 a ticket for only 6 stages, an oppressive campsite arena system, nothing in the way of after hours entertainment, corporate branding everywhere, bad organisation, bad toilets, little atmosphere, no site decoration to spruce things up and a not particularly fantastic lineup (which is, in the end, the festival's only real selling point), whereas at a festival like glastonbury, for the same price (slightly less even, now i think) you get a 1100 acre site, hundreds of stages, much else to do than just watch flavour of the month bands on large stages, better organisation, often better bands, huge areas devoted to after hours partying going on until the early morning and even a free souvenir programme that's actually worth reading, a booklet with a proper wallet with all the stage times and a free bag given to you free as you go in. the same items at reading+leeds cost £8. almost a tenner to know the stage times, that's just taking the piss. plus, people don't feel the need to act like complete twats - there are other things to do at night than burn tents.

as fun as i know the festival can be, it just seems to be in the end, nothing more than a gigantic money spinner for festival republic.

Edited July 4, 2011 by Benj

[FiestaDave]

Nope.

[knivesout]

BORING!

We get the same old shite every year, post glasto, nothing has changed in the last 5-10 years on the fronts you have mentioned, so why are you only raising this now, if you've been to a few Glastos and Reading beforehand?

Also how many have you been too, if you're going for a post GCSE piss up!?!

You must have started when you were 12!

Re the money spinning comment, of course it is and has been since its inception, they're not going to put on a concert just for your pleasure!

[Jaybles]

i'm just commenting that the difference between what we, as punters put in to the festival in terms of money and what's actually given back to us in terms of the overall experience to justify such high prices is pretty vast.

[dirtymookie]

I think the whole crux of it is, yes it is expensive for a few days away, but if your into music and festival atmosphere then it is value for money.

In my opinion, I would much prefer to spend £200 on five long days at Leeds or Reading than six or seven days on a beach in Spain. But that's exactly all it is, my opinion. Whether your twelve or fifty its still only your opinion.

Its been said before, if you added up the individual ticket prices to see all the bands on the line up your interested in, plus the cost of five days camping, I think you'll find its a lot more than £200. If that's not good enough then maybe a trip to Magaluf may be what your looking for.

Alternatively, there's always Gaga at V.

[rexclark]

No festival in the UK can be compared to Glasto. It's a completely different entity and nothing comes close.

I feel I get my money's worth from Leeds. Glastonbury is a much more laid back fest for me whereas at Leeds the site is smaller and I can see all the acts I want to. Like I say they are two completely different festivals and I personally get two very different but equally enjoyable experiences from both.

[knivesout]

I think the whole crux of it is, yes it is expensive for a few days away, but if your into music and festival atmosphere then it is value for money.

In my opinion, I would much prefer to spend £200 on five long days at Leeds or Reading than six or seven days on a beach in Spain. But that's exactly all it is, my opinion. Whether your twelve or fifty its still only your opinion.

Its been said before, if you added up the individual ticket prices to see all the bands on the line up your interested in, plus the cost of five days camping, I think you'll find its a lot more than £200. If that's not good enough then maybe a trip to Magaluf may be what your looking for.

Alternatively, there's always Gaga at V.

Edited July 4, 2011 by knivesout

[Poppington]

I've been going since 2001 and while i'm feeling my age around all the 16yr olds, i still enjoy it, some things piss me off but thats life.

[Benj]

yes i was 12. problem?

i'm not asking them to put a concert on for my pleasure, i'm just commenting that the difference between what we, as punters put in to the festival in terms of money and what's actually given back to us in terms of the overall experience to justify such high prices is pretty vast.

[jump]

I don't know why people are complaining the tixs are overpriced, there's some bargains on Ebay at the moment and this year maybe the cheapest it will cost me to go to Reading.

[Benj]

I think the whole crux of it is, yes it is expensive for a few days away, but if your into music and festival atmosphere then it is value for money.

In my opinion, I would much prefer to spend £200 on five long days at Leeds or Reading than six or seven days on a beach in Spain. But that's exactly all it is, my opinion. Whether your twelve or fifty its still only your opinion.

Its been said before, if you added up the individual ticket prices to see all the bands on the line up your interested in, plus the cost of five days camping, I think you'll find its a lot more than £200. If that's not good enough then maybe a trip to Magaluf may be what your looking for.

Alternatively, there's always Gaga at V.

[mrtourette]

festival atmosphere? reading has virtually no atmosphere - the site is pretty dingy, far overcrowded and with nothing to make it remotely interesting.

[Jaybles]

i'm sorry but why do you seem to think i'd be interested in going to see lady gaga or going to a resort in spain?

festival atmosphere? reading has virtually no atmosphere - the site is pretty dingy, far overcrowded and with nothing to make it remotely interesting.

consider the enormous profits fr make compared to promotors of most other festivals. you can say glastonbury is a special entity all you want but at the end of the day, they're still putting on an enormous amount of entertainment and an actual experience for the same price, and that's without the mass corporate sponsorship that r+l attract.

Edited July 4, 2011 by Jaybles

[Benj]

they're still putting on an enormous amount of entertainment and an actual experience for the same price, and that's without the mass corporate sponsorship that r+l attract.

[swede]

If you feel ripped off, dont go, sell your ticket to someone who does want to go. I dont think ive ever spent £200+ in my life with the feeling of being mugged before the actual event.

The lineup is all subjective though. This is the first time Ive decided to go since 2008 due to starting a family, getting married and doing glasto for the last few years and me and the wife said we'd only go on a year were the lineup was very different to that of glasto, when the lineup was announced we were over the moon, JEW, Offspring, Deftones, MCR, 30STM's, Interpol, Streets/2 Many Djs (back to back). Leeds this year is giving me a chance to go to a festival and just enjoy the music, I know its simple but not every festival has to be like Glasto.