A recent YouGov Omnibus survey of Londoners reveals that the majority of those in the capital believe that festivals have become over-commercialised.
Almost seven in ten (69%) respondents either strongly or tend to agree that festivals have become over-commercialised. 14% either tend to or strongly disagree.
The group that is least likely to say this in London is 18-24 year olds. Just over half (52%) of this group agreed. This compares with 35-44 year olds, over eight in ten (81%) say festivals are too commercialised.
There is a considerable disparity between younger and older people when asked whether they thought festivals were appropriate for people of all ages. Just under three in ten (29%) of Londoners aged 18-24 said festivals are all-age appropriate. This percentage jumped considerably with the older generations. Over half (52%) of those 25 to 34 years old and 35-44 year olds agree that festivals are an all-age event.
As well as wanting to keep festivals young the 18-24 age group were also far more likely to think that in order to have a great music festival you need to travel outside of London. When presented with the statement, ‘You don’t have to travel outside of London to go to a great music festival’, only 39% of 18-24s agreed compared to 63% of those aged 45-54.
Sam Hookey, YouGov Research Executive says: ‘Festivals organisers need to fund their events, and advertising is inevitable in an industry that is increasingly crowded. Attracting the top artists is a costly business, but one that Londoners feel is impacting on the atmosphere of the festival.
There is clearly the appetite for festivals from older age groups, and the challenge to organisers is to ideally create an environment where sponsors are not forced upon ticket holders, while promoting a diverse line-up that has quality performers to suit all age groups.'
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