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The Death of UK Festivals
Thursday 22nd August 2013 | Christina
The Death of UK Festivals
I remember when I was 16. It was April time and I was sat at the computer on the phone to my friend. We were both clicking frantically trying to refresh the Leeds Fest ticket page only to find the website had so many visitors that it just kept crashing. Eventually one of us got through and after hours and hours of trying we finally had our hands on a ticket. Lots of our friends weren't so lucky and paid considerably more, getting a ticket from elsewhere just so they didn't miss out. Fast forward 5 years and with the festival gates now open, weekend tickets are still available. So what's happened? Is the UK festival scene dying?
A few years ago, founder of Glastonbury Michael Eavis spoke about how he feels the future of the music festival is in peril. When discussing the future of his festival he stated 'It's on the way out. We've probably got another three or four years.' But why? If Glastonbury continues to sell out each and every year why would it end? Eavis explained: 'We sell out only because we get huge headliners. In the year Jay-Z played we nearly went bankrupt.' So basically, people want big names but they cost a hell of a lot of money is what he's saying.
But it's not just the cost of the acts. Eavis blames the crowded market place and believes that the bad economy is also to blame. The lack of jobs and high tuition fees mean young people have less money to spend on festival tickets. With the average UK festival goer spending £423 no wonder that 60% of 18-24 year olds said that now festivals are just too expensive for them.
The biggest culprit for the downfall of the UK festival however? Festivals abroad. The same acts with guaranteed sunshine and cheaper tickets? Of course they're pulling in the crowds.
I must admit, I've been lured in myself to the promise of sun, sea and sand along with great headliners at affordable prices. With UK festival ticket prices so high, why not roll a beach holiday and festival into one?
But surely the headliners aren't as good as those abroad? With the exception of The Rolling Stones, this year's Glastonbury headliners, The Arctic Monkeys and Mumford & Sons weren't exactly mind blowing. Yeah they're amazing bands but back in 2011 I watched the very same headliners at Benicassim proving that the festivals abroad can pull in the big boys too.
As disappointing as it is to hear a recent poll conducted by MSN found out that out of the 2000 people they asked, only 45% of festival goers actually go to festivals for the music. So what do the other 55% of people go for then? Apparently it's for the atmosphere, the chance to be with friends and the chance to escape from everyday life.
Last year I visited Hideout in Croatia and the classic festival atmosphere that people so craved seemed to be a little lacking. We insisted on camping so we didn't miss out on the atmosphere of the festival and the chance to make friends but to be honest it was a big mistake. The temperatures were so hot we didn't even sleep in our tent and we were definitely in the minority. The majority were staying in apartments and looked immaculate as they headed to hear the DJs rather than looking festival grubby like we did. It was more like a beach holiday with music from DJs we actually wanted to hear. It was amazing and I'd go again but I don't think it's even comparable to a festival like Glastonbury. It's just not the same.
Well it's not just the atmosphere people were looking for anyway. It seems people are after sex, drugs and not so much rock and roll! The poll revealed that a quarter of those asked said they had slept with a stranger whilst at a festival. I hope for their sake it was on the first day before dirt and mud appeared in places dirt and mud should never appear! 21% of those asked admitted to taking drugs whilst at a festival and 47% admitted they had done something they would never consider doing outside of a music festival. The poll also proved that it's not just young people who go to festivals to lose their inhibitions. A fifth of 45 to 55 year olds admitted to drinking heavily and 9% admitted to taking drugs.
Lots of people shy away from UK festivals for a number of reasons but top of the list unsurprisingly seems to be hygiene and cleanliness. The biggest problem of course is the portaloos. A recent poll run by MSN revealed that 43% of people hated the toilet situation. But once you've got through a trip to the toilet, the rubbish British weather and the fact you're stuck in field means that you're inevitably going to get muddy as many festival goers realise. Top of the list of essential festival items was wellies and wet wipes. For some, the fear of rainy weather was all too much with one in eight festival goers avoiding UK festivals altogether this year due to fears over the weather.
So the promise of sun, cheaper tickets and better toilets is what the UK festivals need to keep the people coming. Well that's probably not going to happen is it? I say we should just embrace the mud, embrace the rain and keep the UK at the top of the Festival heap.
Christina Hirst
