How much crazier can it get!

[Fishman]

12 hours ago, clarkete said:

2007 was the last year I stayed in a tent. Taking off wet clothes each day and not having sufficient space to dry them so they were barely dry before you put them on again. It rained on every day that the stages were open, which I don't really recall for other years. 

2007 was grim. It seemed to always be raining. Our group was loads that year (20+ ?) and not many of us returned the following year. Using that small sample and the recession and then Jay Zed you will have problems shifting tickets.

[Simsy]

2 hours ago, poppyh24 said:

Well let's not forget brexit next year... That in itself may(prob will) cause a financial chaos of sorts which could lead to the same effect in ticket demand as 2008

Yes, I was tempted to say that brexit fucking up the country might make it easier to get tickets but I didn't want to start a political rant!

[Mr.Tease]

14 hours ago, The other Bellboy said:

I can't remember exactly when the credit crunch started to bite, i was lucky at the time and was working 2 very well paid jobs so firstly didnt have time to keep upto date with things and secondly i had quite a bit of cash coming in. I moved abroad in 2009 so was out of touch for a long time.

2007 was of course a mud bath and then there was the Jay Z issue, quite a few things must have come together but some of these things have occurred since and there hasn't been the same issue. I'm really surprised that no one has ever done a case study on 2008 as it was a real blip for GFL. Of course they took a few big steps which changed the way things have ran since then - the change in ticket sale date, the deposit scheme and not announcing the line up until after its too late for anyone to change their minds:) Very good moves for GFL obvioulsy:)

Maybe the rise of social media kicked in after 2008/9 and that's what's been plumpening demand since then (I can't actually remember when a lot of the social media kicked off, so I could be wrong!). 

Also 2008 was the first year of shangri la and the South East corner expansion (I think) so maybe its popularity and reputation has boosted Glastonbury further since then. 

Then you factor in the expansion of showers, replacement of the turdis's and more glamping and you have a whole new demographic 

Edited October 28, 2018 by Mr.Tease

[crocodiles]

Interesting thread this wouldn't claim to know answer for perceived difficulties in getting tickets for both festival and accommodation.  

From a personal point of view if I was in early 20s now would be going with mates as often as I could get tickets .

But as in 50s have a different view 30 years ago people I knew were all about local gigs pubs clubs 2 week holidays . Nobody I knew went to festivals.

They've grown and grown as must do events for years now due to expansion of tv channels . Media coverage.  People now want to experience different things .

I watched for a few years whilst still going to lot of gigs . I thought I'd love to do that then thought y say it do it . Luckily I managed to get tickets 1st time in 2016 persuaded my wife who wasn't keen on the basis we could stay in wv as we haven't camped for ever.  

2016 was ridiculous mud but we loved it and decided one more go in 2017 . I talked my wife into a 3rd go in 2019 and she's happy to go . But I'm sure that's more than enough for her . We've got other places we want to visit and money isn't endless so won't be trying 2020 but who knows after that. 

As people say some do it once tick it off some realise how fantastic it is and go again and again . 

Word of mouth social media it's become a must do for loads of people . But as said earlier things go in cycles and interest will rise and fall.

The other thing I think nowadays travel etc Is much more accessible and everything musically is hyped beyond belief every new artist is seen as the saviour of music . 

Whatever the reason I'm extremely lucky to be going for my 3rd it truly is a fantastic place like nothing else I've ever experienced .

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

18 hours ago, crazyfool1 said:

I think it will peak at the 50th ... all things run in cycles and at some point interest will start to drop off ... maybe peoples frustration with difficulties getting things sorted / festivals without friends might start coming into play ... 

The sale for G20 is going to be beyond horrendous but I also see it as a watershed period in the festival's history. I think there'll be a large number of punters making way for a new generation and it may even become slightly easier to buy tickets again. I definitely see it as my swansong, if I'm lucky enough to get a ticket and I know of a lot of festival veterans who think the same way. 

[Crazyfool01]

12 minutes ago, Supernintendo Chalmers said:

The sale for G20 is going to be beyond horrendous but I also see it as a watershed period in the festival's history. I think there'll be a large number of punters making way for a new generation and it may even become slightly easier to buy tickets again. I definitely see it as my swansong, if I'm lucky enough to get a ticket and I know of a lot of festival veterans who think the same way. 

I was thinking similar ... but then again after that one I might have changed my mind ... still quite a few years in me yet ... although might think of ways of making it slightly easier on the body  

[glastolover19]

37 minutes ago, Supernintendo Chalmers said:

The sale for G20 is going to be beyond horrendous but I also see it as a watershed period in the festival's history. I think there'll be a large number of punters making way for a new generation and it may even become slightly easier to buy tickets again. I definitely see it as my swansong, if I'm lucky enough to get a ticket and I know of a lot of festival veterans who think the same way. 

Said the same thing about the 50th being my last,my wife however has just pointed out that I have been saying that for the last 10-20years. I must say based on the last few years ar this point in time I'm still considering ducking out after 2020 but I'm making no promises yet

[glastolover19]

25 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

I was thinking similar ... but then again after that one I might have changed my mind ... still quite a few years in me yet ... although might think of ways of making it slightly easier on the body  

Definitely the way to go,I remember literally turning up with a tent,some booze and perhaps a spare t-shirt. Now I have to bring half my house. I remember years ago looking at people with chairs and airbeds thinking what do you need all that for? Now those 2 items are 2nd + 3rd on my essentials list. 

[Crazyfool01]

8 minutes ago, glastolover19 said:

Definitely the way to go,I remember literally turning up with a tent,some booze and perhaps a spare t-shirt. Now I have to bring half my house. I remember years ago looking at people with chairs and airbeds thinking what do you need all that for? Now those 2 items are 2nd + 3rd on my essentials list. 

not done the 2 trips to car park before ... but think I will this year  

[Penrhos]

I must confess - Glasto was on my bucket list for years before I decided to actually go back in 2010 and I've been hooked ever since.

It was only when I found out you could hire a campervan and park in a field just outside the fence I took the plunge.

The pictures of the mud, wrecked tents and horror stories about the toilets. We're enough to keep me away. But I did plenty of other festivals where you could stay in a hotel and turn up for each day instead of camping and they were a training ground for "the big one".

 

Now everyone knows about glamping and the campervan fields. So going to Glasto isnt "HARDCORE" anymore.

 

There are people I work with that recoil in horror that I go to Glasto, trudge through mud and use the long drops for almost a week. Some I've persuaded to try it out (we have three newbies this year - all staying in a rented CV). I'm more likely than not camping in general population as I failed to get a CV ticket, but having survived a few wet ones I can cope with this now.

I'll be approaching 60 for 2020 so I'll 100% try for tickets as at my age you may not get the chance again, Ill health or death is a sure way of stopping you going so I'll keep trying for as long as I can hear, see and walk my way around the site (even if I have to go to bed a bit earlier). 

[glastolover19]

2 hours ago, crazyfool1 said:

not done the 2 trips to car park before ... but think I will this year  

Last year was the first I actually did 3 runs to car on the Wednesday,partially the heat but partially because of bumping into a buddy on the 1st run and indulging in something that made my legs not want to work as efficiently ?

[guypjfreak]

I think with all the posh camping in and around the festival site it's definitely starting to change the festival and to an extent the people who go... 

[sedra]

18 hours ago, glastolover19 said:

Yep,only year ever that I considered leaving early

We did leave early- my cousin who was there for her first Glastonbury had had enough by Sunday morning and had started to get a cold and was miserable. So we took everything up to car and said if it stopped raining and the sun came  out we would go back down to see Shirley Bassey and the headliners. It didn’t so we went home and 2 hours later was sat on the sofa with a hot cup of tea watching Shirley on the telly! 

I think it’s just down to multiple devices and too much demand for tickets as there are more and more people who have grown up going over the years as well as people who have never gone but seen it on tv or gone to other festivals and see this as “the one” to go to. 

I would go in a camper van if I could be bothered to walk up and down the hill but I like being able to pop back to the tent for a rest or change of clothes. So we will continue to camp inside the festival in our spot in Kidney Mead this year! 

[glastolover19]

58 minutes ago, guypjfreak said:

I think with all the posh camping in and around the festival site it's definitely starting to change the festival and to an extent the people who go... 

I kinda agree with this but undecided if it's a bad thing or not

[Flysheet]

6 hours ago, crazyfool1 said:

not done the 2 trips to car park before ... but think I will this year  

I’ve seemed to do this the last two years in the Weds and not playing that game this time cod I’ve shelled out for WV. 

[The other Bellboy]

17 hours ago, Mr.Tease said:

Maybe the rise of social media kicked in after 2008/9 and that's what's been plumpening demand since then (I can't actually remember when a lot of the social media kicked off, so I could be wrong!). 

Also 2008 was the first year of shangri la and the South East corner expansion (I think) so maybe its popularity and reputation has boosted Glastonbury further since then. 

Then you factor in the expansion of showers, replacement of the turdis's and more glamping and you have a whole new demographic 

From what i remember there was some social media type stuff earlier than 2008 but i think you are right in that things really started to ramp up around the time you mentioned and its increasing at a vast rate now, and for every new person that goes to the festival through being motivated by TV coverage or something on social media, they are going to tell 10 other people who in turn can easily look at every detail of the festival and decide they want to give it a try. There are a lot of folk here in NZ who want to try it at least once and if you multiply that by all the countries around the world then its easy to see where a lot of this demand is coming from. I really wish GFL would publish some data on registration and then ticket sales by country - just out of interest. I'm certain the demograhic has changed over the last 10 years and it must be a million miles away from the of people that went for the 30 hears before that. The comfortable camping options have made it possible for so many to have this experience and see it more as their annual holiday than just a few days in a field. Its an amazing set up and experience and there really is something for everyone!

[The other Bellboy]

On ‎10‎/‎28‎/‎2018 at 12:03 PM, Nice hymer said:

I also wonder if families/kids growing up are beginning to have an effect (and will continue to do so)

This year our group has two teenagers who need tickets for the first time. These kids have been attending for the last 13 years, the number of 'us' hasn't changed but this year we've taken an additional two tickets from the pot. There's another four kids who will also need tickets in the next few years....it's gonna get harder!

 

This is a really good point.

So the snip pledge for all then! It may take a few years to see the effect but eventually we can sort this problem at least!;)

[The other Bellboy]

22 hours ago, hfuhruhurr said:

 Other festivals aren't something to boast about - there are a lot of people who just want to say they've been.

 

This is definately true and of course the harder it is to go the more of a boast it is to say you've got tickets, its a massive challenge and acomplishment in itself - just getting the tickets!

[Thunderstruck]

Might be a sign tickets are under-priced. The price to see the top bands now is extortionate. At a normal gig outside of Glastonbury you'd expect to pay 70-100 quid for a headlining band, so with the price of a Glastonbury ticket you've already made your money back and that is just on the 3 headline acts.

[Mr.Tease]

3 hours ago, Thunderstruck said:

Might be a sign tickets are under-priced. The price to see the top bands now is extortionate. At a normal gig outside of Glastonbury you'd expect to pay 70-100 quid for a headlining band, so with the price of a Glastonbury ticket you've already made your money back and that is just on the 3 headline acts.

I stopped going to the bigger gigs years ago due to the prices and those official touting scams (seatwave, getmein etc)- became an absolute joke when I found out some of the main sellers (ticketmaster) owned the touting companies (seatwave), such a racket that they were allowed to get away with for years- think they've faced a bit of a clampdown in recent years, but stopped paying attention! So for me glastonbury is the only time I really get round to seeing/hearing live music

[JayBalls]

The amount of tickets that go back in the pot is quite telling of how many people are truly up for and can just chuck 50 quid down in the off chance they may go, I imagine ticket day would be less busy if you had to pay 250 straight off.

[Thunderstruck]

 

7 minutes ago, Mr.Tease said:

I stopped going to the bigger gigs years ago due to the prices and those official touting scams (seatwave, getmein etc)- became an absolute joke when I found out some of the main sellers (ticketmaster) owned the touting companies (seatwave), such a racket that they were allowed to get away with for years- think they've faced a bit of a clampdown in recent years, but stopped paying attention! So for me glastonbury is the only time I really get round to seeing/hearing live music

I wanted to go and see Metallica next summer but decided for the ticket I wanted (~ 130 quid) it was just not worth it. I'm not saying Glastonbury should increase the price of the tickets by the way, I'm just thinking it is incredible value really for 5 days of entertainment and that could be a factor in the high demand. 

[Hawros]

On 10/27/2018 at 10:22 PM, amfy said:

I think there is potentially an issue with a greater proportion of ticket holders wanting campervan/caravan/glamming options.

The people like me who have been going for years are getting older and each year more and more of us decide lugging our stuff 3 miles to pitch is getting too tough. To be fair, it is that, rather than the actual camping that does for me!

Then Glastonbury is also attracting new customers (young and old) that just don’t see camping as part of their essential Glastonbury experience in the way we did at our early  glastonburies. There is definitely a greater proportion of newcomers that only do it on the basis that it turns out ‘you don’t have to camp’.

In turn, there is a greater and greater demand for campervan/caravan/glamping  options. It can only get tougher.

I blame Bridget Jones.

[shuttlep]

Weather , it's been great the past few years..

 

what we need is  few festivals with the weather of 04,05 and 07. this would see ticket sales drop . weather wise they were terrible, granted 2005 was only bad for on the Thursday but the rain was biblical .

 

[Thunderstruck]

3 minutes ago, shuttlep said:

Weather , it's been great the past few years..

 

what we need is  few festivals with the weather of 04,05 and 07. this would see ticket sales drop . weather wise they were terrible, granted 2005 was only bad for on the Thursday but the rain was biblical .

 

Not sure I'd take bad weather for an easier ticket sale...2016 was really really tough!