Tag: UK festivals

Picking up a festival ticket will usually set you back somewhere in the region of £200, so festivals are more like mini-holidays from a financial point of view. Luckily enough, there are plenty of ways to reduce further costs throughout your trip.

Tent

Don’t cut corners with your tent – make sure you buy one that is doubles-skinned. You don’t want all your valuables and clothes ruined by rainwater. You should be able to pick up something reliable from Tesco for around just £30.

Travel

Going by car is fine, but the parking charges can add up. So can petrol, if you’re driving far. Trains are similarly expensive, especially without a 16-25 railcard. Going by coach is probably for the best.

Food

Onsite food is hideously expensive and the local supermarkets will be heaving. Getting three meals a day could really add up, so make sure you pack enough to last for your whole trip. It’s great to pick up a cheap camping stove so you can chow down on something warm.

Drink

Alcohol fuels plenty of memorable concert experiences, but it’s going to be extortionate if you buy from vendors. You can take your own alcohol into most campsites, as long as you don’t look like you’ll be trying to set up your own off-license, so take advantage and BYOB.

Charging Your Phone

Sure, there are ways to charge your phone at a festival, but people have found out how to charge you (a lot) for the privilege. Instead, pick up a portable power bank. They’ll cost around £20, but they will last for years.

Waterproofs

The UK is great at turning clear skies into thunderclouds, and vendors jack up the price of waterproofs at festivals. A waterproof is essential, and you can find a cheap mac at any supermarket chain.

Accessories

Camping chairs, sunglasses, coolers – the kind of things you don’t consider essential until you arrive. Simply put: if you’re likely to want something, buy it before you leave. Pound stores are great for cheap essentials.

Fest Schedules

Plenty of festivals like to get more money from your pockets by making you spend anywhere from £5 to £20 on the timetables sold at their site. It’s often hard to bypass this charge, but you can always split it with your mates.

Valuables

It’s not just about what you spend – it’s about what you lose. Make sure you find inexpensive alternatives for expensive watches, phones, sunglasses, and other such items. You don’t need them getting broken or nicked.

So many festivals, only so many days you can get off work … There will probably also only be so much cash in your fest-fund, so why not choose this year’s event based on how much bang you’ll get for your buck?

New research has let us compare the cost of popular festival tickets with the price of seeing all their acts one by one. Picking right could see you save up to a considerable £4214.40.

Creamfields

Creamfields is the cream of the crop when it comes to giving you your money’s worth. Getting to see headliners such as Calvin Harris, Avicci, and Jamie Jones will set you back £220, but the cost of seeing all the festival’s acts independently would add up to a whopping £4434.40.

Bestival

Bestival’s headliners include The Cure, Major Lazer, and Fatboy Slim. Tickets come in at just £190, which is even more impressive seeing as the cost of seeing each act alone would be an estimated £2114.76.

Glastonbury

Glastonbury is one of the most famous festivals in the world, bringing acts such as Adele, Coldplay, and Muse. It couldn’t get much better, and seeing all of those performers alone would cost a cool £2003.76 compared to just £228 for a Glasto pass.

Download

Black Sabbath headlined at this year’s Download Festival, with other acts including Iron Maiden, Korn and Deftones. The cost of the festival was set at £205, but the cost of seeing all acts apart would be £1963.42.

Reading and Leeds

Reading and Leeds are two of the best around, with a ticket to either setting you back £213. If that sounds like a lot, keep in mind that seeing all the acts separately would cost £1707.71.

T in the Park

Buying a T in the Park ticket will mean digging into your wallet for £194. You’ll get to see acts such as The Stone Roses, Disclosure, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and all acts together would have cost £1624.93.

Latitude

Headliners for Latitude 2016 include Disclosure, Biffy Clyro, and Fall Out Boy. You can either pay £205.50 to see them all at the fest or shell out £1184 to see them all separately.

V Festival

V Fest comes in at the bottom of our list, though acts do include notables such as Rihanna and Tinie Tempah. Tickets start at £189, and you’d pay £1031.63 to see them all.