44% of music fans are buying fewer festival tickets, survey finds

A significant number of UK music fans are currently buying fewer festival tickets, a new survey has found.

Following the news this year that more than 40 UK festivals were pausing or ending their plans for a 2024 event due to rising costs and insufficient ticket sales, Pirate Studios conducted the survey of 1,700 festival-goers to get their thoughts on the situation.

It found that, in 2024, 44% of respondents had bought fewer festival tickets than they usually do, while 49% of those surveyed said they refused to spend more than £200 on a festival ticket — a significant figure as prices for many weekend-long events continue to surge past the £300 mark.

29% of those who responded to the survey said they were prioritising attending their favourite festivals over any others, making it hard for new events to get off the ground. 20% of those surveyed, meanwhile, said they were actively seeking out early bird or discounted tickets in order to be able to afford to attend festivals.

Responding to the survey’s findings, David Borrie, the CEO of Pirate, said: “There’s a strong culture among musicians and music fans to support the acts, promoters and venues they love, whether by buying tickets, merchandise or records. However, with ticket prices being what they are, the scene can’t sustain the festival circuit on its own. Government support is now essential.”

You can find the full list of survey answers here.

Cosmic Roots was recently forced to cancel its 2024 edition citing “unpredictable ticket sales and a rise in production costs”.