Glastonbury tickets have risen from £270 to £340.
Co-organiser of Glastonbury Festival Emily Eavis has blamed the increase in ticket prices on the ‘enormous rises in the costs of running this vast show’ and the ongoing fallout caused by lockdowns.
As fans voiced their disappointment at the 26 per cent rise in fees, co-organiser Emily Eavis responded on Twitter:
— Emily Eavis (@emilyeavis) October 17, 2022
Similar festivals have not been subject to such harsh ticket price hikes. A 2023 ticket for Reading and Leeds festivals is marginally cheaper than this year’s 2022; tickets for Green Man in Wales are up from £210 for 2022 to £235 for 2023; End of the Road has risen from £190 to £235.
The Glastonbury price jump may seem higher because no event was held in 2021 when some of its rivals returned. Most ticket sales for the cancelled 2020 event were brought forward for its return this year, meaning the cost rise has been less gradual.
However, all British festivals are dealing with rising inflation: in 2020, the average UK rate was about 1 per cent, and many festivals honoured their 2020 ticket sale prices for their returns in 2021 or 2022; this year, it has risen more than 9 per cent.
Events also suffer from supply chain issues and a shortage of specialised and safety attendants – many of whom retrained in other industries when the 2020 lockdowns made their jobs redundant for a stretch. British touring infrastructure companies are rebasing themselves in Europe to accommodate new Brexit rules around equipment transportation.
Additionally, there has been a rise in musicians cancelling shows and conceding that touring is now too expensive, as well as the cost of living crisis hitting audience demand hard.
The UK music industry remains one-third smaller than before the pandemic. Last month, UK Music, the organisation representing artists, labels and the events industry, requested a care package including tax relief, a VAT cut for floundering venues and simplifying restrictions impacting workers and touring between Europe and the UK.
Glastonbury coach tickets go on sale on 3 November, with standard tickets to follow on 6 November. Future buyers must register beforehand, part of Glastonbury’s effort to restrict touts.
Next year’s festival will run from 21 to 25 June. No headliners have been announced, but Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis has previously said that the top-billing acts for 2023 and 2024 are already in place.
