As if festivals tickets don’t cost enough already – now there may be increases to the compulsory levy on ticket sales. Are you willing to swallow the price rise?
If (like me) you’re up for wearing wellies and going without a shower all weekend in the name of good, live music – brace yourself.
Any dedicated festival goer knows that tickets come at a price, but a proposed shake-up of the royalty payments could slice a bigger cut out of the organisers’ takings. And that means one thing – ticket prices go up.
Why the need to increase prices?
At the moment the UK pays one of the lowest compulsory levies on ticket sales – 3% – and it hasn’t changed since 1964. The Performing Rights Society (PRS), who collect the charges, says the live music industry has changed so much during this time that the charges need to be reviewed.
Fair enough, but keeping in line with Europe could cause levies to double, which is a pretty drastic increase. Then add the January VAT hike and a day ticket to next year’s Latitude could rise from £60 to £65. If you’re happy to swallow that, consider the same sum applied to Glastonbury’s £185-a-pop entry. Tickets would be knocking on £200. No thanks.
Festival prices already too steep
With most ticket prices topping 100 quid already, why should we be coughing up more? Last year I ditched plans to go to Camp Bestival when I realised that family tickets and camper van entry for the three of us (not to mention all the extras inside) would easily match the price of a European break.
That’s a lot by anyone’s standards. Raising the prices even more will just make festivals elitist and force people to rethink their holiday plans.
The consultation is now underway, closing on September 7. It’s open to customers as well as music industry types, so if you don’t want to be priced out of festivals, best fill out the consultation response form and tell them why you won’t pay more.
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