McShit festivals

[FuzzyDunlop]

Im more likely to go to one of those festivals if they called it Mcshit. At least it would be advertised correctly.

[Mezhyp1]

Look forward to those representing the Labour and McDonald's party in the future 

[eFestivals]

4 minutes ago, Room to sway said:

@eFestivals do you genuinely think festivals are dying in general?

yes and no. For example, Wireless certainly isn't dying, it's the hottest event out there at the mo.

Some festivals having McShit on site is a big big marker for how things are changing. 

[rubick]

Anyone know what time DJ Ronald McDonald is playing the Nugget Arena this year?

[rhysieg]

As crap as a company they are, I gaurentee that if they had a pitch at Glastonbury there would be a huge queue of hungover punters every morning ready to smash a share box of Mcnuggets.

To be honest, I can't believe that Mcdonalds haven't attempted to get onto the festival circuit sooner, they can charge even more for their crap and sadly many people would probably choose it over the hundreds of more interesting diverse and independent food vans. 

[Tommy Dickfingers]

Hang about. You can get a maccies at those festivals? My god. That’s class.

[dotdash79]

It’s not ideal but would you rather have them at the festival or no festival?

 

[Northtim]

6 minutes ago, rhysieg said:

As crap as a company they are, I gaurentee that if they had a pitch at Glastonbury there would be a huge queue of hungover punters every morning ready to smash a share box of Mcnuggets.

To be honest, I can't believe that Mcdonalds haven't attempted to get onto the festival circuit sooner, they can charge even more for their crap and sadly many people would probably choose it over the hundreds of more interesting diverse and independent food vans. 

Surely only if they undercut all the indy traders serving amazing food - which would indeed be the beginning of the end.

[Room to sway]

9 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

yes and no. For example, Wireless certainly isn't dying, it's the hottest event out there at the mo.

Some festivals having McShit on site is a big big marker for how things are changing. 

That's interesting about Wireless, glad there's somewhere doing well. Looks like a much more different lineup to most festivals.

And yeah I can imagine many many people will be happy to have a McD's onsite (I'm vegetarian so I'm staying out of this one).

[rhysieg]

2 minutes ago, Northtim said:

Surely only if they undercut all the indy traders serving amazing food - which would indeed be the beginning of the end.

They have the financial power to undercut all of the indy traders and I would assume they would do so. I dont think this would be a good thing for the traders at all. 

[jyoung]

It's just McFlurries, yeah?

[uscore]

 I think festivals changed years ago. Some are totally mainstream now and it's absolutely obvious that McDonalds would fit into Reading and Download and several others.  

There are tonnes of festivals nowadays though, and plenty where they wouldn't fit.  Bearded Theory and Glastonbury being 2 that I'm attending this year.  But even these types of festival are almost unrecognisable from 20 years ago.

 

I think "festivals are dying" is only true if you make it mean "festivals are changing from how I want them to be".

Edited June 18, 2019 by uscore

[cb4747]

It's just a shame as there are so many great independant food stalls ?

[eFestivals]

5 minutes ago, uscore said:

There are tonnes of festivals nowadays though, and plenty where they wouldn't fit. 

thing is, ten years ago the list you've provided for where you say they don't fit would have included the festivals where you say they fit today.

So essentially, it means it's only a matter of time before they're also at Glastonbury and Bearded.

(to be clear that doesn't actually mean I think they will definitely be at those particular festivals. I'm saying it's at the discretion of every festival, but that the uptake is likely to grow as having McD's gets to be seen as the norm.)

[Ryan1984]

Do you think they'll actually be inside the arena at Reading or outside along the Thames where the Subway truck sets up? Surely the latter wouldn't be too unfair on the already-established traders?

[uscore]

1 minute ago, eFestivals said:

thing is, ten years ago the list you've provided for where you say they don't fit would have included the festivals where you say they fit today.

So essentially, it means it's only a matter of time before they're also at Glastonbury and Bearded.

 

you might be right, to an extent. And it might open the door for other brands too.  Surprised there aren't Costa vans everywhere already (actually there might be, I've not been to Reading or Download in years).

I still think there will be a big appetite for independents though.

And I think we'll all still be going to these festivals and loving them.  Haven't we all be complaining about the commercialisation of Glastonbury since the 80s?

[eFestivals]

9 minutes ago, uscore said:

I think "festivals are dying" is only true if you make it mean "festivals are changing from how I want them to be".

I agree with you to a large extent but i'd say it's more than that.

Festivals used to be an alternative culture, and that was made them 'cool'. Because they were cool everyone wanted to go to one; and once everyone goes they're no longer cool.

Add-in the mainstreaming that's happening in order to keep-up the audience size from the boom years, and that helps amplify the 'not cool' part.

[incident]

1 hour ago, eFestivals said:

do you think festivals would have let McD's on 10 years ago? So why are they doing that now?

I absolutely think some of them would, yes. Certainly I reckon that TITP, V and the Hyde Park events would have taken the cash without a second thought, and I wouldn't have been too surprised to hear that Bestival, IOW, and Reading/Leeds had done so. Nandos, Domino's and various Nestle brands (when people were getting most upset by Nestle) all had a presence at festivals back then so this wouldn't be too far a stretch from that.

Commercialism isn't new, nor are unpleasant companies. It's not as bad as McDonalds but even at Glastonbury 10 years ago we had a venue that existed only to promote the Sony Singstar karaoke game. 15 years ago Budweiser (the multinational American version) had their own stage.

[jyoung]

7 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

Festivals used to be an alternative culture, and that was made them 'cool'. Because they were cool everyone wanted to go to one; and once everyone goes they're no longer cool.

Oh no... This it's better when it's 'exclusive' attitude is not a vibe.

Edited June 18, 2019 by jyoung

[Havors]

1 hour ago, eFestivals said:

do you think festivals would have let McD's on 10 years ago? So why are they doing that now?

 

Devils advocate here..... Would McD's have wanted or been able to do a festival 10 years ago? The useless twats have only just got onto deliveries...  :D 

They probably never had the infrastructure or desire to make it work either. I have couple of friends who are store managers and area manager and the company is so anal with regards to procedures and equipment they cant just throw a grill in a van. 

That being said... even late to the party at certain festivals McD's would bring in some doe and could help keep the chavy festivals alive. 

[clarkete]

"Ball-less, soul-less, spiritless corporate little bitches! Suckers of Satan's cock, each and every one of them"

Is it a two way street in some way?  Do they need to use better packaging to get into these places or the same wasteful shite?
 

[Janaka]

IMO less the festivals themselves, more the commercial influence that Livenation now have as equity stakeholders in all of these festivals.  They're the ones doing these "brand partnerships" as they call them, probably less so the individual festival management themselves.

 

[maelzoid]

Just got back from Download. Two of the meals I had were overpriced but adequate at best. On Sunday I had a Wow Burger - one of the worst burgers I've ever had and it cost £7. I don't want festivals overrun with chain outlets, but if the independents churn out what I had a at Download, people will flock to the chains because of their reliability. I think it's quite straightforward to make a burger far better than any at McDonalds and still turn a handsome profit if you're charging £7, rather than the dreadful corner-cutting and cheapskatery I experienced this weekend.

Independents, it's up to you!

[matichin]

Definitely see this as a bad thing, and definitely won't be having any if they turn up to any festival I attend.

However will be very interested to see how well they perform - McD's whole thing is the predictability of their offering at every franchise across the world. How they could possibly scale to providing the same service and the same product to a festival crowd (including the service speed) will be fascinating. If I had to wait the same time for a proper nice burger as I did for a shitty Big Mac I know which one i'd buy. 

[eFestivals]

18 minutes ago, incident said:

I absolutely think some of them would, yes. Certainly I reckon that TITP, V and the Hyde Park events would have taken the cash without a second thought

so you think McD's haven't seen festivals as an opportunity until now? Cos that would have to be the case, that this is the first time they've wanted to be involved.

I can't see that being true myself.