The popularity of the festival

[stuartbert two hats]

1 hour ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Fairly sure people were making the same point in 1995 when it shifted from grebo music to Britpop. 

And I believe much the same was said in the 80s when the likes of The Smiths played.

[eFestivals]

1 hour ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Fairly sure people were making the same point in 1995 when it shifted from grebo music to Britpop. 

no, just the peeps who hadn't realised it was always a pop festival.

Pop changes, but a pop festival is always a pop festival.

[priest17]

Festival people are the worst.

[Ohinever]

20 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

no, just the peeps who hadn't realised it was always a pop festival.

Pop changes, but a pop festival is always a pop festival.

"The Pilton Pop Festival" should have been a clue in all fairness. 

[maelzoid]

I actually think we're at Peak Glastonbury right now. The 50th is attracting so much attention, that Diana getting booked is front page news on the BBC website.

Don't get me wrong, I think it will still be tough to get tickets for a good while to come. But inevitably the attention from outside the music world will wane.

[Charm]

54 minutes ago, Ohinever said:

It would be if that was what I was doing. I was merely referencing a  year when it found it a hard sell. 

 

By this I mean merely people who have never shown an interest in any festival, camping or even live gigs as a concept, who all now want to go to Glastonbury specifically. It's become a phenonema that transcends people's usual modus operandi. If people think this statements a "load of shit" then don't moan if it ever turns in a hunter welly and tory fest. 

People can go for whatever reason they like, and I make no comment on the validity of those reasons. Just that it now appeals to those who have never been interested in such an event. I still enjoy Glastonbury, so I still go. 

 

BTW, I disagree with the poster above that it was just as hard to get tickets in the 2005 era. It was more difficult, in that you had to stay on the phone/net for hours, but If you did, you got them. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That’s just not true, plenty missed out, remember speaking to people who were there without their regular group. 

Charm x

[big__phil]

I don't think it will ever fail to sell out in October. As others say, lots of this is due to coverage in the media (and social media), but also because other big festivals are...a bit shit. There truly is nothing else quite like it, and everyone wants to have a piece.

It's a big cliche, but it really does have something for everyone, at all ages. If you add to that pre-erected tents, off-site glamping and improved/improving on-site facilities people no longer have a reason to be put off by the reasons they used to be.

Personally I don't have a problem with new people getting a ticket (it was everyone's first time once), but it is a shame when long-timers miss out. I missed out last year and it was pretty bleak.

[Yokel Again]

Have thought this for a few years now. People come with us now who couldn't have thought of anything worse when we first went.

[squirrelarmy]

32 minutes ago, maelzoid said:

I actually think we're at Peak Glastonbury right now. The 50th is attracting so much attention, that Diana getting booked is front page news on the BBC website.

Don't get me wrong, I think it will still be tough to get tickets for a good while to come. But inevitably the attention from outside the music world will wane.

Glastonbury is one of the BBC’s last remaining crown jewels. Most of their big events have been taken elsewhere they will obviously make a huge deal of it compared to other news outlets. 

[mattiloy]

6 hours ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Of all years to use as a nostalgic high watermark, 2008 is objectively hilarious.

If it's all about the music - and you don't like what's been booked recently cos it's too mainstream - then why do you still want to go?

Please show me where I said ’its all about the music’.

But in truth, I thought last year was unpleasantly busy on site at times and it gets more difficult to get tickets every year.

If it were all about the music, comparing this years green man to glasto, I’d choose green man. But glasto wins on sentiment, attachment to the location and history of the plac e, spectacle and pageantry for want of a better word, night spots and finally because so many of my pals and family try for tickets that I known in any given year I’ll know a good 10+ of them will be attending.

Glasto has loads of great music too of course, but the scale of it and the popularity of it is a good thing only upto a point, at present levels it becomes less enjoyable for me for sure.

My sister is going this year, encouraged by the recent lineups, she has never been to a big festival before, listens almost exclusively to the top 40 and no doubt will spend an hour getting her hair and makeup sorted before leaving her tent for the day. Now, i love her and it’ll be great to have her there and great that she is coming and will be out of her comfort zone etc, hopefully she loves it and gets exposed to some different music to boot - more power to her. But the shift in music and the importance of ’being there’ and documenting it on social media undeniably played a big roll in her desire to go. Also, being so oversubscribed just appeals more to that demographic, adding a feeling of exclusivity. If we’re saying the problem is one of oversubscription, and i am, then one of the reasons for this is the increased appeal amongst those that wouldn’t have come before.

[marathonsteve]

1 hour ago, jyoung said:

?

What a load of shit.

I agree

[dmedxb]

12 hours ago, Charm said:

Don’t really know what a festival type is exactly but I’m especially happy for all the newbies who got lucky, it might just change their lives. 

Charm x

Thank you for the positivity here. My first year (I'm in my 30s) was 2019 and it changed my life -  like many of us, I do struggle with my mind sometimes but nothing serious. Glastonbury gave me 5 days of total freedom, clarity and peace; I've got tickets next year and I can't imagine a summer without it now. It's one of the greatest places in the world and do hope I'm now a 'festival type'... 

[Wooderson]

"Non festival people" could do with a bit of Glastonbury in their veins.

[Freddyflintstonree]

11 minutes ago, dmedxb said:

Thank you for the positivity here. My first year (I'm in my 30s) was 2019 and it changed my life -  like many of us, I do struggle with my mind sometimes but nothing serious. Glastonbury gave me 5 days of total freedom, clarity and peace; I've got tickets next year and I can't imagine a summer without it now. It's one of the greatest places in the world and do hope I'm now a 'festival type'... 

I think you might be me. 

[eFestivals]

@jimbarkanoodle - bored of your cut & paste pre-prepared trollings. You need to try harder.

[Woffy]

FWIW I thought last year* was probably the most wonderful of all the (I think 15) Glastonbury Festivals I've been to since the 90s.

 

Edit: THIS year FFS.

Edited October 11, 2019 by Woffy

[Ohinever]

1 hour ago, Charm said:

That’s just not true, plenty missed out, remember speaking to people who were there without their regular group. 

Charm x

There are far more people registered now than then. It was easier. I'm sure some missed out, and perhaps we were all just lucky, but I never really had great difficulty until about 2013 I'd reckon. 

[Charm]

27 minutes ago, dmedxb said:

Thank you for the positivity here. My first year (I'm in my 30s) was 2019 and it changed my life -  like many of us, I do struggle with my mind sometimes but nothing serious. Glastonbury gave me 5 days of total freedom, clarity and peace; I've got tickets next year and I can't imagine a summer without it now. It's one of the greatest places in the world and do hope I'm now a 'festival type'... 

That’s so lovely to hear, really glad it’s been such a positive experience for you, it’s important for the festival that newbies like you turn up and fall in love with the place, keeps it fresh, no one wants it full of veterans, would be weird. 

Charm x 

[henry bear]

2 hours ago, Ohinever said:

People can go for whatever reason they like, and I make no comment on the validity of those reasons. Just that it now appeals to those who have never been interested in such an event. I still enjoy Glastonbury, so I still go. 

It’s pointless comparing Glastonbury to other festivals; it’s kinda transcended that and is now firmly ensconced on the Social Season. It attracts people who otherwise don’t go to festivals the way, say, Wimbledon attracts people who’ve no interest in other tennis tournaments.

My older sister (and I’m no spring chicken) out of the blue, told me in 2013 that she was going to Glasto with friends. I was flabbergasted - she’d previously shown no intention of going and was aware I’d been going for decades. So she went and absolutely loved it, had the time of her life, and carried on going every year.

The point is, who do you think are ‘festival people’? And why should Glasto only be open to them. It’s a broad church, and I think it makes going all the more special, even if it’s a bugger to get tickets

[CaledonianGonzo]

57 minutes ago, mattiloy said:

If it were all about the music, comparing this years green man to glasto, I’d choose green man. But glasto wins on sentiment, attachment to the location and history of the plac e, spectacle and pageantry for want of a better word, night spots 

This is the 'brand' and it's what attracts the veterans and the newbies alike..The festival itself is exactly as busy as the organisers want it to be.  Whether you're up for that any more or not is obviously your call, but it's not the fault of the people who've successfully bought tickets.

[Chubby Dude in a Tiny Car]

2 hours ago, squirrelarmy said:

You only have a specific time in your life where you enjoy festivals such as R&L. 

yup - last time i tried to do a weekend at Reading it was one of the most depressing experiences ever... by the Sunday night it had descended into something akin to Lord of the Flies...

but i did seem to be the oldest person there (probably thirty-something at the time) by a long way...

[lukethekid]

13 hours ago, Charm said:

Don’t really know what a festival type is exactly but I’m especially happy for all the newbies who got lucky, it might just change their lives. 

Charm x

You’ve got such a boss positive outlook Charm, love it. 

[lukethekid]

People seem to predominately blame the BBC for the rise in popularity of the festival, I personally don’t think that’s the case because it’s been on the BBC for years. Obviously the coverage has become more extensive but for the last 20 yearsish you’ve been able to turn your telly on Fri, Sat & Sun over the last weekend  in June and watch the festival unfold. 

I think it’s more to do with the bookings that they are making now but most of all it’s gotta be due to social media. People are seeing people they know go and having the time of their lives there so when they then see that they then want to experience it too, which is only natural. People want to live life and they also want to feel like they’re not missing out on things. So they give it a go. My other half has never been to a festival before, at the age of 42 and she’s going next year. Can’t wait for it to blow her head off. 

[Chubby Dude in a Tiny Car]

Just now, lukethekid said:

People seem to predominately blame the BBC

i blame Channel 4.

before their coverage started in 1994, Glastonbury and i guess festivals in general, where just for the great unwashed that "normal" people thought were annoying / scary / ridiculous / criminals / junkies / whatever.

the outside world then saw that actually its just a bunch of people having a fucking great time, and we inevitably end up with the unstoppable force that is the modern Glastonbury festival.

i'm not having a moan - i LOVE the modern Glastonbury festival, its just natural evolution in todays world.

its the same with anything.

start with Spiral Tribe, end up with west end superclubs

start with Crass, end up with Busted

start with skateboarding in the streets, end up with X games.

 

 

(btw, it was better in the good ol' days ? )

 

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

13 hours ago, paulshane said:

The only thing I can think of is that the competition isn't as 'big' as it was.

Yes, there are loads of other great festivals, but it feels like there isn't the 'big fests' like there used to be, I remember friends pretty much flipping a coin to decide if they'd go to Reading, V, Fledh (Can't rememebr how to spell that one!) or Glastonbury. Now it feels like Glastonbury is the undisputed must have, and other festivals are second place.

Like the thread starter, i've seen peoples opinions change over recent years - ten years ago people would almost scoff when I booked a week off to go to that 'hippy mud fest', now when I book time off work, my colleagues pretty much say "ooh, always wanted to go, are tickets still available?"

It's certainly on more peoples radar than say, 'End of the road' or 'Green Man'

 

This...

13 hours ago, mattiloy said:

Agree with the above.

It for sure appeals to a more mainstream crowd nowadays. I think for a lot the brand is more important than the music and thats a shame.

and this...

Plenty of people understand that it's more commercial, more pop-focused, more accessible in it's appeal than ever before, more a bucket-list-selfie-opportunity than ever before, even if certain people don't want to admit that has happened and that there might be negative side-effects from that. There has definitely been a shift towards middle and upper class people, there's definitely been a slight atmosphere change over the decade I've been going and talking to randoms has been harder than ever. In 2017, more people turned up for Craig David than Run the Jewels FFS... Craig David has V Festival written all over him, how the hell did he get such a good showing at Glastonbury!?

But anyway, what does anyone expect to do about it?
Restore a focus on more "guitar bands" on the main stages? YAWN. That'd be dull as dishwater for many - including many "festival people" like myself. 
Only let "real" festival goers go? How would that even work, it'd be impossible to qualify and set in motion. 

While it's engaging people and getting people to talk about politics/issues - whether people agree with everything at the festival or think some of it is tosh is fine - then it shall continue in this vain. 

Also, as someone else said, it's not sustainable. The HUGE acts will stop coming one day or they'll be harder to book and people like Taylor Swift and Beyonce aren't going to be repeat headliners; they're a commercial vehicle as any other pop singer is. Who will be headlining the festival in 2030 for example? All the talk of Macca, Fleetwood, Elton John, Diana Ross, Led Zepplin, and other heritage acts will obviously be removed from the scenario for obvious reasons...

I don't know what my point is now, I've been distracted by a cuppa tea and a magnum... 

Anyway, mud, less big acts, the rise of other festivals/things to do... that's when the changes will happen...