Campaign to make festivals affordable for the young 

The Association of Independent Festivals has launched a campaign to enable more affordable access to music festivals for young people across the country.

The First Festival campaign launch follows the publication of a report, which revealed that the cost-of-living crisis, inflation and rising supply chain costs are “a major issue” affecting the profitability of all independent festivals.

The resulting increase in ticket costs has made them inaccessible for many young people, who are less likely than older festival-goers to use payment plans.

Ticket prices for Glastonbury hit £340 this year, an increase of more than £75 since they last went on sale in 2019.

The increasing price of tickets, combined with the impacts of the pandemic, mean many young people age 16 to 19 have never attended a music festival, the report found.

“They have missed a pivotal cultural moment that so many others have been able to experience,” the report said.

The campaign seeks to offer tickets for independent festivals to young people who turn 18 between 1 September 2019 and 31 August 2023 priced at just £18.

Participating festivals include Shambala, Kendal Calling, BlueDot, Nozstock: The Hidden Valley, End Of The Road and British Country Music Festival, with others expected to sign up for the scheme.

The campaign is seeking donations from organisations and individuals to offset the cost of tickets, which will be released to people on the waiting list as funding targets are met.

“Everyone should have a first festival experience and it should be a thrilling and vital part of every person’s journey into adulthood,” said AIF’s CEO John Rostron.

“We’re hoping that there’ll be individuals and organisations who are able to spare some money to put into the fund to help people attend their first festivals this year,” he added.