Music festivals are getting bigger in the UK, while small and medium-sized ones are dying.
Inequality is a sign of the times: more and more millionaires are being generated at the expense of an impoverished middle class, restaurants with renowned chefs have waiting lists of months and bills of over a thousand euros per couple, while traditional eateries struggle to survive with affordable menus and avoid being bought by Chinese restaurants. The same is happening in the music world.
You wouldn't think the UK (and consequently the world) summer festival circuit is in crisis, after 200,000 people packed the Somerset farm where Glastonbury is being held three weekends ago, and its takings last year were double those of 2023. The other side of the coin is the 200 events that have been cancelled or postponed since 2019, and the many more that are in danger of extinction.
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There are many reasons, starting with the rising cost of living, which has reduced both organizers' investment capacity and fans' ability to buy tickets (a good show that used to cost €75 now easily goes up to €300, which also makes the demand higher and fans more selective). Added to this is Brexit, due to its impact on the supply chains of materials needed to set up stages, the higher rates demanded by artists, the price of energy, the pandemic shutdown (which depleted the cash reserves of small and medium-sized festivals trying to survive), and market saturation.
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The problem is that the music world is a delicate ecosystem, and for there to be a Glastonbury, there must also be small and medium-sized independent festivals, with attendances of a few thousand people, where emerging artists can make a name for themselves, as was the case with Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Kesha, Ed Sheeran, and so many others. Their disappearance is like Barça closing La Masía. Where would Lamine Yamal, Pedri, or Gavi come from?
Adding to the financial difficulties are organizational difficulties, as competition for artists capable of attracting the masses and commanding admission fees of hundreds of euros is fierce. Some festivals book them up to two years in advance, often banking on emerging artists of the moment who then fizzle out, and when the time comes, they no longer generate much interest. It's like leaving your credit card for a restaurant table without knowing whether you'll be able to use it or not.
Attendees at the last Glastonbury Festival
Scott A. Garfitt / Ap-LaPresseMajor festivals like Glastonbury are becoming increasingly successful while the rest languish or die, and the same is happening with the artists. Established names can play wherever they want and for whatever amount of money they want, while mid-tier festivals (whose contribution is essential when it comes to filling out programs) are increasingly struggling. Agents are given 48-hour ultimatums to get their clients to accept a bargain-basement contract.
Superstar stadium tours or concerts in a well-known artist's home city remain a major source of income, but touring by the music world's middle classes to festivals has been complicated by the additional cost of visas to enter the United States and the disappearance of freedom of movement between Britain and the EU, with the added formalities and expenses that this entails.
The world is increasingly becoming more for the rich and less for the middle classes. This is also true in music.
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