Is it too expensive?

[storm]

Oh I know mate! Northern Irish here hah, EP and Oxegen are and were a bloody joke!

Only did EP once and was never brave enough for Oxegen though tbf the line up was tempting a few years.

You do alright up there for good gigs and festivals, I've been up a few times for the Tennants gigs, Belsonic and saw Black Sabbath at the O2 last year. Much better than down here anyway

[Jie Bie]

I've seen a few mentions of £225 on this thread - I take it the price has been put by a tenner this year? I remember last year we paid £215 (£50 deposit and £165 balance payment).

Anyway, I reckon still it is good value, especially if you have kids aged under 12. Only problem is for families who have kids just over 12 as they are having to fork out full price tickets for their kids.

It would probably be better to introduce half-price tickets for 13-16 year olds, but I'm not sure how much that would cost the festival. Personally I wouldn't mind it if they put the adult price up (maybe by a fiver) to cover the costs of allowing half-price tickets for this age group, as I think part of the reason Glastonbury has such a good atmosphere is because so many families go to it.

[ICGenie]

End of the day, it's no business of GFL how much your travel / subsistance costs are. You can't factor those in when you're talking about the expense - additional costs vary from person to person for all sorts of reasons. The only thing you can base it on is the ticket price itself and what is provided in return.

The OP question is purely subjective. If you're prepared to pay for it, it's not too expensive. If you're not, it is too expensive. Simple.

[Avalon_Fields]

If Glastonbury was way over-priced, wouldn't the demand naturally be diminishing?

Many are motivated by the quality rather than just price, there's still huge demand for quality, a good example is the new iphone6 which is selling really well, but by most parameters is very expensive (Especially if you compare the Apple profit margins compared to the declared Glastonbury profit)

It's an interesting point about scaling back the festival, I never leave without wishing I'd seen and done more - as there is far too much choice - but it's that which keeps me keen to return year on year as I can never imagine thinking 'that's it, I've seen it all and done it all'

[LondonTom]

Many are motivated by the quality rather than just price, there's still huge demand for quality, a good example is the new iphone6 which is selling really well, but by most parameters is very expensive (Especially if you compare the Apple profit margins compared to the declared Glastonbury profit)

Well thats not a fair comparison at all, as you just paying extra for the fruit logo unlike Glastonbury which is actually the top of its game.

[Avalon_Fields]

Well thats not a fair comparison at all, as you just paying extra for the fruit logo unlike Glastonbury which is actually the top of its game.

Maybe I didn't write what I meant to say here....I was trying to say Glastonbury was much better value for money than Apple, but even Apple isn't seen as too expensive by many, even with huge profits etc...

(The Beatles Apple logo was better, anyway!)

[didyeaye]

Not at all. I think it is the best £225 you could spend for 5 days entertainment. I am from Scotland and T in the Park is absolutely pants compared to Glastonbury but you will spend a whole lot more at T in the Park. If you plan and know what to bring you could literally spend a couple of quid per day and have the time of your life. The atmosphere you get at the place is worth every penny. A lot of other huge public gatherings attract a frightening amount of helmets but we could not believe how good it was and how laid back.

[donthaveacoolname]

If Glastonbury was way over-priced, wouldn't the demand naturally be diminishing?

^^^What he said^^^

Basic Economics If people think its too expensive then they wont buy the thickets and it wont sell out; if its priced correctly (re supply/demand) they will sell you with no over demand and if its under priced there will be more demand than supply.......which one have we got in Glasto?

[ItsBadForYa]

Only did EP once and was never brave enough for Oxegen though tbf the line up was tempting a few years.

You do alright up there for good gigs and festivals, I've been up a few times for the Tennants gigs, Belsonic and saw Black Sabbath at the O2 last year. Much better than down here anyway

I'm Irish myself (Armagh) and have yet to do EP, though in fairness I've only ever heard good things about it. After it was re-named from Witnness, Oxegen gradually descended into a hellhole full of young, loutish students who it seemed had secured their first ever weekend away from mummy and daddy, knackers, and GAA teams.

When I first went to Glasto it felt like I'd been re-born. It really did blow my socks off and I can't imagine life without it just now. And it is expensive, when all the costs of getting there and staying there are taken into consideration, however, our crew live for it, and so far we can just about manage to pay for it.

[Zoo Music Girl]

^^^What he said^^^

Basic Economics If people think its too expensive then they wont buy the thickets and it wont sell out; if its priced correctly (re supply/demand) they will sell you with no over demand and if its under priced there will be more demand than supply.......which one have we got in Glasto?

I want to buy a thicket. Haven't thought about that word in years. No one talks about thickets any more.

[Avalon_Fields]

Not at all. I think it is the best £225 you could spend for 5 days entertainment. I am from Scotland and T in the Park is absolutely pants compared to Glastonbury but you will spend a whole lot more at T in the Park. If you plan and know what to bring you could literally spend a couple of quid per day and have the time of your life. The atmosphere you get at the place is worth every penny. A lot of other huge public gatherings attract a frightening amount of helmets but we could not believe how good it was and how laid back.

Plus you're pretty much forced to buy Tennants lager at T, at least at Glastonbury you have options!

[The Nal]

Plus you're pretty much forced to buy Tennants lager at T, at least at Glastonbury you have options!

Tuborg unfortunately being one. Dish water mixed with baking soda that tasted slightly like beer at a fiver a pop.

[Spindles]

I'm on a low income, just about scrape together the cash for the ticket and save like a bastard for the travel and expenses while I'm there all year. I reckon it is great value, not just judged against other festivals, but against almost any other leisure activity; People have mentioned football, theme parks and gigs, all of which are much more expensive per-hour of entertainment than Glastonbury.

As the OP says, once you factor kids into the equation costs really stack, but let's be honest that is a fact of life when going out for dinner, going to the pictures or anything really. My kids are grown up now, but I have paid their way at Glastonbury a few years and that was a hell of a bill, worth it though

[eFestivals]

Tuborg unfortunately being one. Dish water mixed with baking soda that tasted slightly like beer at a fiver a pop.

if you're a lager drinker, you don't care what you're drinking.

[yellowsnow]

When I told people I work with that I was going to Glastonbury they asked how much it was, and when I told them they said 'what a waste of money, you could get a week in Spain for that'.

But as everyone else has said before me, if you think of the amount of bands you will see over the weekend and what you would usually pay to see each of those bands it is completely worth it.

At other festivals, such as Reading, Latitude, V, etc etc there isn't much in terms of late night entertainment after the bands have finished. Glastonbury never sleeps - there is always something to do 24/7, from when they open the gates Wednesday 8am until they close them Monday afternoon. It is entirely worth the ticket price, and then some.

[Glastonvirgin]

Don't really consider price, unmissable and if they upped it to £300 then I'd just swerve a few nights out and pay it anyway.

[___S_o_m_a__]

Basic Economics If people think its too expensive then they wont buy...

[rubenz]

At least once you get inside you don't feel like they are trying to get more money from you like you do at some festivals. Small things like the program and lanyard being included in the price and the free property lockers and cheap water make a difference so I never feel like I am being ripped off (apart from at some of the food stalls but that is balanced out generally by the decent ones!)

[ryan.smith]

At least once you get inside you don't feel like they are trying to get more money from you like you do at some festivals. Small things like the program and lanyard being included in the price and the free property lockers and cheap water make a difference so I never feel like I am being ripped off (apart from at some of the food stalls but that is balanced out generally by the decent ones!)

and that's just about eating smart. If you eat a £5 rat-burger from a shitty stall, you're gonna be hungry after half an hour, but pay the same or a quid or 2 more and you can get a fairly decent meal that'll fill you up for hours!

[stardustjunkie]

I want to know where people are finding holidays in Spain for £200

I know you can get some fairly cheap deals but flights, hotel, food, drink, travel to the airport etc usually costs more than £200 and that's without any entertainment!

[storm]

I'm Irish myself (Armagh) and have yet to do EP, though in fairness I've only ever heard good things about it. After it was re-named from Witnness, Oxegen gradually descended into a hellhole full of young, loutish students who it seemed had secured their first ever weekend away from mummy and daddy, knackers, and GAA teams.

Tell me about it, friend of mine did security at Oxegen one year, among the confiscated items was a cross bow and a samurai style sword!

I want to know where people are finding holidays in Spain for £200

I know you can get some fairly cheap deals but flights, hotel, food, drink, travel to the airport etc usually costs more than £200 and that's without any entertainment!

I've seen week long hotel and flights packages for less than £200 to Spain and elsewhere many times, though not at the end of June.

But most of those extras you list like flights, food, drink etc aren't included in a Glastonbury ticket either. A true comparison would be the cost of your Spanish hotel and your entertainment.

Don't get me wrong the £3000+ we paid for everything for us and the 2 children (they need tickets now) for Glastonbury this year was well worth it, I'm just saying you can't compare everything on one holiday to just accommodation and entertainment on another.

[stardustjunkie]

Tell me about it, friend of mine did security at Oxegen one year, among the confiscated items was a cross bow and a samurai style sword!

I've seen week long hotel and flights packages for less than £200 to Spain and elsewhere many times, though not at the end of June.

But most of those extras you list like flights, food, drink etc aren't included in a Glastonbury ticket either. A true comparison would be the cost of your Spanish hotel and your entertainment.

Don't get me wrong the £3000+ we paid for everything for us and the 2 children (they need tickets now) for Glastonbury this year was well worth it, I'm just saying you can't compare everything on one holiday to just accommodation and entertainment on another.

Yes I appreciate the cost of Glastonbury is more than £200 but it's the fact that once you're in you don't need to actually pay for anything else. If you take all your own food and drink then you're sorted for the 5 days, there's non-stop entertainment and no hidden charges (you don't have to pay for luggage allowance etc)!

I'd be very surprised if someone managed the same on a holiday abroad. The airline have lots of charges to start with, then the exchange rate (exchanging back when you're home usually results in a loss), the cost of food and drink which can sometimes be cheaper abroad than it is here but you can't exactly fill a suitcase full of your own food and drink to feed you for 5+ days, and just generally finding things to do and the transport to get to them will cost money unless you're one that sits on the beach/by the pool for an entire holiday.

Each to their own though, some people will happily fork out hundreds or thousands to sit by a pool.

[Guest]

But most of those extras you list like flights, food, drink etc aren't included in a Glastonbury ticket either. A true comparison would be the cost of your Spanish hotel and your entertainment.

well... no. Most people who go to Glastonbury live in the uk, so no flights are involved.You can also take all the food and drink you need with you. Apart from the travel costs to the festival, you could, if you wanted to, do it for not much more than the price of a ticket. My daughters does.

Don't get me wrong the £3000+ we paid for everything for us and the 2 children (they need tickets now) for Glastonbury this year was well worth it, I'm just saying you can't compare everything on one holiday to just accommodation and entertainment on another.

£3,000? Where did you sleep?

Edited October 29, 2014 by tonyblair

[yellowsnow]

I want to know where people are finding holidays in Spain for £200

I know you can get some fairly cheap deals but flights, hotel, food, drink, travel to the airport etc usually costs more than £200 and that's without any entertainment!

Once you add your travel costs to Glastonbury, for myself and my other half, you're looking at £300 each. That's without all the added extras of booze, food, etc.

Could get a cheap holiday in Spain self catering for a few days in Spain (also not including food, etc) not in June obviously but its possible.

Edited October 29, 2014 by yellowsnow

[storm]

Yes I appreciate the cost of Glastonbury is more than £200 but it's the fact that once you're in you don't need to actually pay for anything else. If you take all your own food and drink then you're sorted for the 5 days, there's non-stop entertainment and no hidden charges (you don't have to pay for luggage allowance etc)!

I'd be very surprised if someone managed the same on a holiday abroad. The airline have lots of charges to start with, then the exchange rate (exchanging back when you're home usually results in a loss), the cost of food and drink which can sometimes be cheaper abroad than it is here but you can't exactly fill a suitcase full of your own food and drink to feed you for 5+ days, and just generally finding things to do and the transport to get to them will cost money unless you're one that sits on the beach/by the pool for an entire holiday.

Each to their own though, some people will happily fork out hundreds or thousands to sit by a pool.

True and I do get your point just I suppose regardless I would still look at what exactly my Glastonbury ticket covers and then see if the equivalent for Spain was more/less/the same, But, as I said, I agree with you Glastonbury is a million times better and my idea of hell is a week in some holiday resort sitting by a pool.

well... no. Most people who go to Glastonbury live in the uk, so no flights are involved.You can also take all the food and drink you need with you. Apart from the travel costs to the festival, you could, if you wanted to, do it for not much more than the price of a ticket. My daughters does.

£3,000? Where did you sleep?

The £200 Spanish holiday includes flights so if you want to really literal I suppose you could say a comparison is the travel to Glastonbury, I believe a return coach from Scotland is around £100, but my point was the extras listed by stardustjunkie are often extras for Glastonbury too.

Just ordinary camping, but, as I already said in the post, there were 4 of us so I had 4 festival tickets (around £850 in total), 4 flights (around £400 in total), 4 people in a hotel (around £100 in total), 4 coach tickets in (£120), spending for 4 (about £1200 in total, I know this is the higher end but I make no excuses for this, it's our main holiday in the year and we go without/save for it) , coach tickets out for 1 (£15 I think) and train out for 3 (£40 ish) . Plus a bit of public transport to Bristol and back, bits and pieces we bought before/ in Bristol etc and I'd say it was over £3000 in all. It all adds up but I'd say it's no more than a week for us all in Spain at the end of June.