Entertainment
How much does it cost to go to Glastonbury and how much profit does it make?-Jon Fellowes-Entertainment – Metro
Are you at Worthy Farm atm?
Glastonbury sells out every year… but how much profit does it make? (Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)
The gates to Glastonbury Festival 2023 have been thrown open, and festivalgoers have now secured their favourite spot on the campsite and enjoyed the opening night fireworks.
The Glastonbury Festival Of Contemporary Performing Arts (to give it its full name) is the most important date in the UK’s live music calendar and is a truly unique experience that attracts thousands of people every year.
Glastonbury is a celebration of creativity which showcases various art installations, theatre performances, and even a circus.
Given the abundance of activities and attractions, it’s not surprising that festivalgoers return year after year, and the festival made such a successful comeback after the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, with headline acts reportedly being paid fees running into the millions and the cost of sustaining a population that now stands comparable to a small city, putting on the festival is now cheap.
So, how much does it cost to attend Glastonbury, and how much does the festival make?
Read on to find out.
How much does it cost to go to Glastonbury Festival?
The Glastonbury Festival 2023 ticket price stood at £335 + £5 booking fee, making a total price of £340 for a five-day ticket.
This was a 26% increase on its previous £265 price tag. However, Emily Eavis, daughter of festival founder Michael Eavis and co-organiser of the event, defended the rise by saying: ‘We’re facing enormous rises in the costs of running this vast show, while still recovering from the huge financial impact of two years without a festival because of Covid.
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‘In these incredibly challenging times, we want to continue to bring you the best show in the world and provide our charities with funds which are more vital than ever.’
She also pointed to the volunteering opportunities and that the £50 deposit would remain unchanged before concluding: ‘We are, as always, hugely appreciative of your ongoing support.’
It’s worth remembering that your ticket price is one of many costs you’ll incur when it comes to going to Glastonbury.
Unless you are lucky enough to live within walking distance of the festival, you’ll need to factor in fuel or public transport.
Any additional supplies you’ll be needed (read: cider) you’ll also be better off purchasing in advance because, once you get into the festival site, you can expect to be paying around £6 a pint, depending on where you go.
How much profit does Glastonbury Festival make?
When Michael Eavis founded Glastonbury Festival in 1970, he cited it as the ‘quickest’ way to clear his overdraft.
It’s safe to say that’s probably paid off by now.
The first ticket to (what was then known as) the Pilton Pop, Folk and Blues Festival cost £1 – and included free camping and free milk from the dairy farm.
The first Glastonbury Festival in 1970 was rather different to the festival of today. (Picture: Robert Blomfield Photography/Getty Images)
Headline acts were supposed to include The Kinks and Wayne Fontana before they dropped out at the last minute and were replaced on the bill by folk-rock duo Tyrannosaurus Rex – later known simply as ‘T.Rex’.
Nowadays, with a ticket running at a cool £340 and around 200,000 people in attendance, you might imagine that Michael Eavis and co would be drowning in cash – not quite so.
The amount of overall profit the festival makes is a subject of some speculation.
However, in 2019, the BBC reported that Glastonbury Festival Events, the company behind the festival, maintained a cash buffer of £10.6 million – with the BBC reporting that, in the year ending March 2018 (so pre-Covid), the company had made a post-tax profit of £1.43 million, and made charitable contributions of £2.1m.
Emily Eavis shed some light on the figures, telling the Today programme: ‘Contingency is really important to us. The elements are so unpredictable. We are completely at the mercy of the elements.
‘We have to sell out to break even, because the event costs so much to put on – about £40m. Our other goal is to be able to give the charities we support about £2m a year. Glastonbury employs about 50 people full time.’
Emily Eavis opens the gates on the first day of the Glastonbury Festival 2023 (Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire)
The festival also incurs a considerable amount of costs.
According to Somerset Live, Coldplay and Paul McCartney were paid approximately £200,000 for their previous performances at the festival. It’s been reported that the fees for headlining acts are typically limited to around £500,000.
However, it’s important to note that many of the performers at Glastonbury can earn significantly higher fees for their performances at other concerts and festivals.
And Michael Eavis himself? According to Somerset Live, he reportedly draws a salary of £60,000. Not a bad year’s wage, but less than a school headteacher, an engineer, and even – allegedly – Michael Eavis’ Cowman on the dairy farm.
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