£200 barrier breached

[abdoujaparov]

I wondered how long it would take someone to point this out!

Theatres don't offer discounts out of the kindness of their hearts. They do it to put bums on seats. Because the show goes on regardless and it's better to have some money than no money. Student discounts aren't about making students' lives easier. It's about getting them to spend money they probably can't really afford. Both things that Glastonbury neither needs or should be doing.

If you're so concerned, dig £200 out of your own pocket for someone who can't afford it to go. I know that if I lost my job I would absolutely not expect or accept someone else subsidising my ticket.

[TheParkAfterDark]

I'd argue that it's actually bloody good value for money.

[salvador wali]

Of course something being value for money doesn't always mean something is affordable

[amfy]

On the "better ways to sell tickets" thread, someone siggested sealed bids and guessed you'd have to bid about £1000 to get a ticket.

This amount isn't my cut off point in itself, but it did make me realise what my cut off point is. We go to Glastonbury as our annual holiday. Sometimes we can afford to do something else as well, but mostly not. When Glastonbury stops being the best thing we can do for the amount it costs, we won't be going. At £200 it is still the best thing we can do for the amount it costs. For £1000 (or even half that) right now, there is a massive world out there that I would love to see more of, and Glastonbury Festival is a few fields in one little bit of it. With more money - big wide world wins!

[ICGenie]

well, that's jolly interesting, but this wasnt a discussion about what you would do if you lost your job, as I recall it was concerned with whether the festival had got too expensive and, if so, whether there were ways that might make it more affordable for some people. What you would personally choose to do if you were unemployed, although fascinating, isnt really the issue

[mrtourette]

I think the fact that's it's value for money or how it could be afforded with sacrifice and prioritisation is completely irrelevant to those who are arguing about the fact that it isn't affordable to everyone. It's the cost, not what you get for it, and the fact that Glastonbury doesn't care as much as it did in the old days and make as much provision for those who can't afford to go (allegedly).

[Rufus Gwertigan]

I am getting the impression that some people really do take everything really seriously and maybe could lighten up a little. 15 pages of blah blah blah. Hats off to Russy as once again he has proven himself to be the God of Stirring Things Up ;-)

[mrtourette]

it's not pointless at all...it just recognises the fact that sometimes doing something is better than nothing and sometimes the search for a perfect answer gets in the way of doing something worthwhile, even if it has rough edges

Edited October 10, 2012 by mrtourette

[mrtourette]

I am getting the impression that some people really do take everything really seriously and maybe could lighten up a little. 15 pages of blah blah blah. Hats off to Russy as once again he has proven himself to be the God of Stirring Things Up ;-)

[russycarps]

Some great attitudes on display in this thread which perfectly highlight why the festival isnt as good as it used to be. I will refer back to some of the more outrageous statements in the future.

Glastonbury needs to be diverse. If the cost means the festival is becoming top heavy with the rich hunter welly wearers, then the cost should be addressed.

It's exactly the same as if the line up was deemed to be attracting a certain demographic, then that would be addressed with more diverse acts put on the bill. No one in this thread would complain about that.

If all the food stalls only sold meat products and this was causing vegetarians to stay away, then there should be vegetarian stalls added in order to satisfy this section of society. Would anyone complain about this?

But because the subject is money, then everyone is up in arms just in case someone seems to be getting a better deal than them. Because money is everything to many people. Over and over in this thread people have talked about means testing and how would we ensure things are fair. This is what society is like now, everyone is terrified that they are somehow missing out. That someone else is getting something they are not, and people dont like it. It saddens me to see people so openly expressing these views, on a glastonbury festival forum of all places!

It makes me absolutely despair. People just dont get it, apart from abdoujaparov.

If trimming the ticket price to make the festival is what it takes for it to be more accessible, then so be it. If this means not being able to have superstar headline acts like beyonce or bruce springsteen then so be it. If this means the arcadia area has to be scaled back, then so be it.

Glastonbury used to be about the people first and foremost. Everything else was just frippery. Sadly these days people cannot comprehend this concept.

[Wooderson]

The lack of ethnic diversity is much bigger issue IMO. That Glasto has become "gentrified" over the years has more to do with the BBC than the affordability or otherwise of the ticket.

Think the notion of limiting the scope/development of the festival to pass on reductions to those of lower means is a noble but defeatist philosophy. At one end if this fails you go bust, on the other hand and it succeeds you become Ryanair.

Edited October 10, 2012 by Wooderson

[whisty]

The lack of ethic diversity is much bigger issue IMO. That Glasto has become "gentrified" over the years has more to do with the BBC than the affordability or otherwise of the ticket.

Think the logic of limiting the scope/development of the festival to pass on reductions to those of lower

[abdoujaparov]

When the discussion has turned into whether we should make tickets cheaper for the unemployed of course it is an issue. I wonder how many people here would really expect others to subsidise their enjoyment if they couldn't afford to go? As most have pointed out to you (and you seem to have missed it every time so I don't see why you'll listen to me) unemployed people have (or certainly should have) bigger issues than whether Glastonbury is £20 beyond their budget. It would be a meaningless gesture that would achieve nothing. Indeed, you seem to be advocating making the tickets MORE expensive for the majority.

If the simple price is what you want to discuss then it quite plainly isn't expensive for what you get. That's a very short discussion IMO.

[abdoujaparov]

I am getting the impression that some people really do take everything really seriously and maybe could lighten up a little. 15 pages of blah blah blah. Hats off to Russy as once again he has proven himself to be the God of Stirring Things Up ;-)

[rexclark]

If someone who is unemployed wants to go to a festival yet finds Glastonbury to be too expensive then why can't they go to a festival which is in their price range? Plenty of cheap festivals out there. I agree that the unemployed shouldn't just be locked away and be expected to just sit in their house as they have no money but they also cab expect to get discounts because of their situation. Where does it stop? What if someone who us unemployed doesn't like music festivals? Do you give them discounted holidays abroad?

Glastonbury is about people having fun first and foremost wether you're middle class with Hunter wellies or an aging hippy. If it can teach people to have different opinions on things then good but lets not kid ourselves about what Glastonbury is, a performing arts festival which just happens to have a moral conscience.

[eFestivals]

yes russy, only you and abdou understand what Eavis is trying to do with Glastonbury, or anything about society.

When can I vote for you two for PM?

[Wooderson]

It's all been discussed before. From a personal point of view the ethnic diversity is fine, if you look around there are many different people, ages, styles etc or are we just talking about skin colour to identify diversity. Just walk to the different areas and see who congregates there. I've been to 2 other festivals this year and the diversity was much smaller in line with the music on offer and size of festival Anybody can go if they choose too and lucky enough to get tickets or work in some way.

[abdoujaparov]

yes russy, only you and abdou understand what Eavis is trying to do with Glastonbury, or anything about society.

When can I vote for you two for PM?

[eFestivals]

You'd have to be desperate to want to vote for me

I'd much rather vote for yourself than russy. At least you've got a bit of perspective, rather than russy's "do what I say not what I do" attitude.

[whisty]

Ethnic diversity has feckall to do with a persons age or style.

[bsolxiv]

Were you ever a student? If you were, I assume that you voluntarily gave up any student discount on the grounds that you shouldnt get something for nothing?

[abdoujaparov]

Sorry, I know this was said ages ago but I just had to reply.

Student discounts are only there to attract more customers into places, not for some kind of student benefit. If a person really couldn't afford to buy something they're not going to go into topshop for a 10% discount (10% probably doesn't cut too much into a 50% profit margin anyway you know). They'll buy the same thing from Primark for half the price. And if that's not ethical enough they'd go to charity shops.

Yes I used student discounts, but only because I could afford to. I had plenty of mates who spent their grant on other things such as rent and books - with what's left on Tesco value fish fingers and beans.

[bsolxiv]

but you've completely missed the point...it doesnt matter what the purpose of student discounts is, the fact is that the poster took advantage of them despite his attitude that you shouldn't get something for nothing....

[eFestivals]

But your point is that student discounts are giving you something for nothing, which they're not.

then the same argument could be applied to an unwaged discount for Glastonbury. It attracts punters in, and helps ensure they'd come back in the future when they had a wage.

The fact that it's a guaranteed sell-out each year doesn't negate that idea, because by hooking in people who otherwise wouldn't be hooked in, it helps ensure that it continues being a guaranteed sell-out long into the future.

[abdoujaparov]

But your point is that student discounts are giving you something for nothing, which they're not.