If the government had invested the same energy in protecting the arts during Covid as they did with football (along with their recent handling of Chelsea), then the sector as a whole would be in a much healthier position
The music industry is full of middle class kids as the working class have been priced out. There’s a reason acts like Liam Gallagher is doing knebworth still in 2022 with a decent amount of young fans
The headline makes out that this is just about the cost of living, but the article text paints a rather different picture:
> **One explanation is that the market is saturated**. In normal times, bands would take time off the road but, after years of no gigs, more acts are now available. Nick Checketts, a promoter in Edinburgh, said that in Scotland there are festivals on most weekends this summer. “There’s too much choice,” he said. “A lot of festivals are getting cancelled and organisers are really struggling to sell tickets.”
> […]
> Another concern is that **the line-ups are too similar and not appealing to younger crowds**. Two years have gone by without a progression of young people joining the industry, and there is a disconnect between what is on offer and what ticket buyers want. Without “new blood coming through’’, Lord says it’s no wonder the industry is stagnating.
> […]
> With tickets costing around £250 for a weekend festival, younger crowds are particularly put off. […] “People are going to Ibiza instead,” says one artist manager, who does not want to be named. “**When going to a British festival costs the same as flights and tickets to one in Ibiza, why wouldn’t you do that?**”
If you’re trying to sell an overpriced product, in an oversaturated market, which doesn’t have good differentiation from your competitors….you’re going to have a bad time.
Wow a few small festivals aren’t happening this year. Big deal, it’s not like there is any shortage of them. There was a report over two yrs ago stating the festivals in the UK had reach saturation point
TL;DR: everything is expensive so nobody can afford nice things.
Oh how sad.
Sorry to say but is kinda needed. Market is way too saturated atm and all it’d take is a light headwind for half the festivals currently out there to go out of business
Increasingly people aren’t driving either. 50% of all my work colleagues aged 30 or under don’t even own a car. They simply can’t afford it.
There’s no shortage of festivals to go to.
This is probably just the market responding in kind.
That labour needs to be freed up from unnecessary music festival jobs, and going to do more important roles for society where we currently have massive labour shortages.
Not everyone can have a job that’s their hobby. Unsurprisingly those jobs are very competitive.
Everyone who doesn’t make it needs to go do stuff like sell toner to offices.
A factor I am surprised wasn’t mentioned is the end of freedom of movement having an impact.
A few events I’m loosely involved with used to see a fairly large attendance from the EU, but *much* less this year.
10 comments
If the government had invested the same energy in protecting the arts during Covid as they did with football (along with their recent handling of Chelsea), then the sector as a whole would be in a much healthier position
The music industry is full of middle class kids as the working class have been priced out. There’s a reason acts like Liam Gallagher is doing knebworth still in 2022 with a decent amount of young fans
The headline makes out that this is just about the cost of living, but the article text paints a rather different picture:
> **One explanation is that the market is saturated**. In normal times, bands would take time off the road but, after years of no gigs, more acts are now available. Nick Checketts, a promoter in Edinburgh, said that in Scotland there are festivals on most weekends this summer. “There’s too much choice,” he said. “A lot of festivals are getting cancelled and organisers are really struggling to sell tickets.”
> […]
> Another concern is that **the line-ups are too similar and not appealing to younger crowds**. Two years have gone by without a progression of young people joining the industry, and there is a disconnect between what is on offer and what ticket buyers want. Without “new blood coming through’’, Lord says it’s no wonder the industry is stagnating.
> […]
> With tickets costing around £250 for a weekend festival, younger crowds are particularly put off. […] “People are going to Ibiza instead,” says one artist manager, who does not want to be named. “**When going to a British festival costs the same as flights and tickets to one in Ibiza, why wouldn’t you do that?**”
If you’re trying to sell an overpriced product, in an oversaturated market, which doesn’t have good differentiation from your competitors….you’re going to have a bad time.
Wow a few small festivals aren’t happening this year. Big deal, it’s not like there is any shortage of them. There was a report over two yrs ago stating the festivals in the UK had reach saturation point
TL;DR: everything is expensive so nobody can afford nice things.
Oh how sad.
Sorry to say but is kinda needed. Market is way too saturated atm and all it’d take is a light headwind for half the festivals currently out there to go out of business
Increasingly people aren’t driving either. 50% of all my work colleagues aged 30 or under don’t even own a car. They simply can’t afford it.
There’s no shortage of festivals to go to.
This is probably just the market responding in kind.
That labour needs to be freed up from unnecessary music festival jobs, and going to do more important roles for society where we currently have massive labour shortages.
Not everyone can have a job that’s their hobby. Unsurprisingly those jobs are very competitive.
Everyone who doesn’t make it needs to go do stuff like sell toner to offices.
A factor I am surprised wasn’t mentioned is the end of freedom of movement having an impact.
A few events I’m loosely involved with used to see a fairly large attendance from the EU, but *much* less this year.