While some are still miffed about missing out on Glastonbury 2025 tickets, there are some that dare not look at their bank account after the cost of attaining a ticket.
So what has led to the sharp increase in ticket prices? Some call it 'gigflation' - so what is it and what are the causes of it?
So what has led to the sharp increase in ticket prices? Some call it 'gigflation' - so what is it and what are the causes of it?
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00:00Legend has it, back in 1970, an earnest farmer opened his land to allow all and sundry to
00:08watch music at Worthy Farm.
00:10The price of a ticket?
00:12£1, and for that, you got a free pint of milk with it.
00:17How things change, and of course they would, that's over 24 years ago, I've never been
00:22good at math, and the price of Glastonbury Festival tickets have increased over the years,
00:26but in particular over the last decade.
00:29In 1999, a ticket to Hedda Glastonbury would cost you around the £80 mark, which was at
00:35that stage considered quite a lot, despite getting a fair crack for your money, but since
00:41then tickets have skyrocketed to the £370 plus booking fee that people are paying to
00:48attend 2025's event.
00:51That's face value tickets too, we're not counting any unscrupulous people who might try and
00:56resell the tickets for more than they're worth, fiscally speaking, well, for some,
01:01a ticket to Glastonbury is priceless, but that's beside the point.
01:05So what has led to a steep increase in 15 years?
01:09Well people are terming it gigflation, referring to the rising costs of attending live music
01:14events, including ticket prices, booking fees and associated expenses such as travel, accommodation
01:21and the all important tour poster or shirt, which we'll refer to as merchandise on this occasion.
01:28So what has caused the upward spike in ticket prices not just for festivals but concerts
01:33and other performing arts events?
01:35Well, it's driven by factors like increased production costs, artist fees, inflation and
01:41supply demand imbalances, especially for high profile festivals and tours.
01:47In recent years, the term gigflation has been used to highlight the sharp increase
01:51in costs at major festivals like Glastonbury, where prices have risen significantly over
01:56the decades.
01:58That we also left Europe had a pandemic and the cost of living has increased massively
02:02are also other parameters that have led to gigflation becoming a term you'll be using
02:07around the dinner table during family gatherings.
02:10But what do I think about gigflation and the price hike for Glastonbury?
02:15Well it's an unpopular opinion, but I think you definitely get what you pay for going
02:19to Glastonbury.
02:20It's not just about the music as they say, it's the atmosphere, the experience, the people.
02:25And compared to having overseas on holiday, the price is, well, comparable.
02:29But when it comes to some, shall we say, smaller acts, then I can understand audience hesitation
02:35paying top dollar for an artist who in a previous year cost £15 to see perform live, but owing
02:41to them blowing up, suddenly is set to cost someone £100 instead.
02:46We could blame dynamic pricing, which would mean blaming ourselves, but where is the fun
02:50in that?
02:51But let's spare a moment for those fans who are struggling with a cost of living crisis,
02:56paying sometimes next to half a month's worth of wages to venture to a venue to see an artist
03:01perform.
03:02At the back of the room, seated, because that's all they can reasonably afford.
03:08Give Coldplay all the flack in the world for what they release musically, but at least
03:12they set a benchmark how much tickets would cost to see THEM live in 2025.