The Rising Popularity of Festivals

    'UK fans spent £1.45bn on gigs in 2009 - up 4% from the previous year, according to songwriters' body PRS For Music.' said Ian Youngs, Music reporter, BBC News. Showing that there is a definite rise in the popularity of music festivals over the last few years. However, some may think that it is just a rising popularity in the industry itself, but as the statistics show 'Sales of CDs, records and digital downloads remained flat at £1.35bn in 2009.' Therefore, music festivals are shown to be much more popular and increasingly so, more so than the purchased or downloaded music. This is due to the fact that a lot of the consumption of music over the last 10 years has been digital and non-malleable, thus a consumer now wants to go back to the 'good days of music', as some would call, in the 1960s and 1970s - the days of Woodstock and giant festivals. So, therefore this revert and interest in festivals shows a throw-back or perhaps a progression into the modern music genre through old uses of it 40-50 years ago.

    The idealism of festivals has changed from something old to something remade and new. The notion of sleeping in a tent, wearing wellies walking in the mud and drinking beer all weekend is appealing to people as it a complete escape from the norm.

   It is chance for people to let go of the constraints of society, mobiles phones, laptops, worrying about money or your car and be relaxed, have a good time and be spontaneous for the weekend. Unlike a gig where it is a few hours long, at most, festivals are days long with your friends listening to music that you love so it is a completely different experience for somebody wanting to go to a festival rather than just seeing the band in concert.  

 

The sense of community is also different in the fact that the people there are all in the same situation with mostly the same views and opinions on the place and music they are attending, therefore conversation can be made with different people without even knowing them by sharing that and being in the experience together.

It gives an experience to lots of different people due to the vast audience festivals bring. Teenagers and young adults can see it as a chance to change their normal lives and do something they wouldn't usually do. Older people use it as a way of relaxing and people with families can enjoy it and have their children entertained in a relaxed and calm environment.