Shoddy campsites, soaring prices and lack of interest blamed for decline in music festivals, survey shows

Lineups and ticket prices are to blame for the decline in music festival attendance, according to a new survey. Australia has seen music festivals across the nation cancelled such as Splendour in the Grass or Groovin’ The Moo in Bunbury, with the events citing low ticket sales as the reason. New data revealed by a survey from Stage and Screen — a division of Flight Centre that focuses on travel management for live events — found young people are wanting to spend their dollars on big, spectacle concerts rather than a multiple-day music festival. The group surveyed 1000 18 to 35-year-olds about what events they would want to spend money on, or were planning on attending. Nearly 90 per cent said multiple reasons were deterring them from music festivals, with 31 per cent saying they would rather see one main headline act in a city stadium than watch multiple lesser-known acts at a festival. Nearly 58 per cent of female respondents cited safety concerns, feeling the security offered at festivals and campsites was not safe enough compared to that at a major stadium. Ticket prices were cited as a major deterrent for 66 per cent of people and 35 per cent said they were put off by the logistical challenges of attending festivals. The day Splendour In the Grass was cancelled, the cheapest remaining tickets online started at $192. In conjunction with the survey, Stage and Screen analysed Flight Centre bookings to the Taylor Swift Eras Tour concerts in February. It discovered an 88 per cent increase in fare sales to Sydney around the concert dates compared with the week prior. Bookings to Melbourne around Swift’s concert dates increased by 89 per cent on the week prior. Stage and Screen general manager Adam Moon said the data showed young people would rather save up for a “once-in-a-lifetime” event, than attend an annual festival. “Price, convenience and comfort are clearly steering fans towards headline acts in city stadiums, but our figures show that FOMO (fear of missing out) is another factor,” he said. “Major international artists only come to Australia every few years and the last time Taylor Swift toured Australia was in 2018. “Festivals, however, are typically held every year.” Mr Moon said this was a sign that festivals needed to adapt to the needs of a changing audience or risk dying out. “Providing more shelter, reducing ticket costs, ensuring safety, and an inclusive atmosphere could breathe life back into this beloved Australian pastime,” he said.