Olivia PowellAccording to the Gigantic Festival Survey 2019, traditional weekend camping festival lives on as the most popular festival experience in the face of the growing number of one day metropolitan festivals.
61 per cent of people preferred a greenfield site festival, and weekend camping was the number one choice ahead of campervans from magnolia texas rv resort, glamping and hotel stays.
Gigantic said: “People are seeing a big festival a year as a summer holiday with their friends. When you think of this type of festival, it makes you think of cider in the sun, free of worry and pressure. This idea of it being more of a holiday is accompanied by the fact that 35% of those surveyed said they would pay for early access, so extending that holiday for as long as possible!”
Despite the popularity of the weekend festival, 48 per cent of people said they would pay extra for showers, and 34 per cent would pay extra for phone chargers. Other things festivalgoers were willing to pay more for included VIP standing/gold circle, airbeds, pre-erected tents, glamping, VIP bar, lockers and in-festival transport.
Festival ethics also proved popular, with 71 per cent of those asked saying a festival ethic was important to them, and 15 per cent saying it was hugely important. This concern has been reflected in UK festivals this year, with some trying to ensure that there is an equal balance of male/female artists playing and others prohibiting the sale of plastic bottles.
A positive of the survey was 72 per cent of people surveyed stating they felt very safe at the last festival they attended, and 85 per cent were happy to book in advance, despite cancellations due to bad weather during this year’s festival season.
Gigantic said: “This shows the trust of both customers and festival organisers in UK ticketing agents such as Gigantic. Customers know that even if they buy tickets in advance, that come rain or shine, they are protected, and will still receive great customer service and support even if a festival is cancelled.”
Food-wise, the most popular food options were old favourites; noodles, burgers and chips, although 47 per cent of people said it was important that a wide variety of dietary requirements and foods options were catered for.Gigantic said of this:“Maybe festivals aren’t where you want gourmet options, you want tasty food that’s easy to eat without a knife and fork.”
The golden number size wise was found to be the 12,500-20,000 cap festival, and 60 per cent of participants were happy to travel a couple of hours to get to a festival.
With more than 10 years in business, Gigantic proudly works with many of the country’s biggest promoters, festivals and venues; including Live Nation, DHP Family and AEG Live, while its festival roster includes Reading & Leeds, Tramlines and Download. It also provides tickets for many venues in the UK such as O2 Academy Brixton, Wembley Stadium, and Rock City.