Early October 2022 saw the anticipated release of the Glastonbury 2023 ticket prices and many music lovers were not happy about the sharp increase in them. The rising cost of living, alarming rates of unemployment, and the number of people living in poverty have led us all to question: is this price for live music really worth it?
The General Admission price for the 5-day festival in 2023 totals at £340 – for the ticket alone. This is £70 more than the General Admission price back in 2020 and has ignited queries around the ethicality of charging so much for live music when it’s accompanied by sky-high food and drink prices as well.
The price of a small (125ml) glass of wine is £6 at the famous festival and pints of lager, cider, and ale all sit at the £6 mark as well. Prosecco sits higher at £10 for a 175ml glass accompanied by £9 cocktails, and Jägerbombs at £7. Soft drinks are available at extortionate prices too. A can of Red Bull will make you £5 lighter, whilst mixers and orange juice cost £2 a glass. The average Glastonbury goer spends upwards of £65 per day on food and drink – totalling at an absurd £325 over the 5 days. Therefore, the festival earns a revenue of at least £665 per person. When discussing the price increase, Emily Eavis wrote on her twitter:
‘We have tried very hard to minimise the increase in price on the ticket but we’re facing enormous rises in the costs of running this vast show, while still recovering from the huge financial impact of two years without a festival because of COVID.’
The average price of a concert ticket in the UK is £47. Normally a concert consists of the main artist and then one supporting artist. The £340 festival ticket is equivalent to 7 concerts. Glastonbury offers a lot more than 7 artists so arguably the ticket price is good value. Though with line-ups not confirmed until close to the festival, people must secure their tickets long before knowing if their favourite artists will even be attending. Musicians such as the Artic Monkeys, Elton John, Harry Styles, and even Rihanna are rumoured to be appearing at the festival in 2023, there’s no denying that the talent is impressive.
Whilst festivals such as Glastonbury have high production costs, one of the main contributors to ever increasing prices is the art of supply and demand. Whilst music lovers continue to pay such high prices for tickets, festivals will keep pushing the prices up. Also, due to the ever-evolving popularity of festivals, there’s some stiff competition. With more than 34 million festivalgoers each year in Britain alone, the demand for more and more events is growing rapidly and it shows no signs of slowing down. Festival organisers fight for the top artists to headline their shows so they can attract the largest audience, this involves increasing artists’ fees each year which they cover by increasing ticket prices. This was confirmed as, despite the alarming costs, the Glastonbury tickets sold out in 20 minutes, making it clear that the demand for the festival is as abundant as ever. With price rises showing no signs of slowing down, it begs the question how high these prices will go? If the current trajectory continues, prices could hit the £500 mark by 2025 which could see many festival fans having to forfeit their love for music in favour of financial stability.
The ethics surrounding Glastonbury festival rests in more than just ticket prices. After the festival in 2022, dangerous levels of MDMA and cocaine were found in Somerset rivers which scientists have concluded are due to public urination. The alarming levels of illegal substances found after the festival are incredibly dangerous to wildlife and those taking them, though unfortunately these levels are not surprising.
In times of financial crisis, the increasing costs of goods is unsurprising. However, the underlying financial burden of Glastonbury festival, hidden in transport costs and environmental burden, the ethicality of festivals in this time are called into question.