The Current State of the UK Festival Market in Statistics
1. The average age range for music festival goers is 18-35 (Source: TSEntertainemt )
2. By the end of 2023, the number of festival tickets purchased on one major event website increased by 51% from the previous year. (Source: Skiddle )
3. Of 100 festival organisations questioned on a survey about sustainability, only 46% admitted to having a public sustainability policy, 14% showed no evidence of any policy at all. (Source: Betternotstop )
4. As of May 2024, there have already been 45,522 artists on worldwide stages. (Source: JamBase )
5. Of all worldwide music festivals, Glastonbury in the UK boasts the most artists in one lineup, hosting 712 artists. (Source: JamBase )
6. The average festival ticket price per person is now £400. (Source: Skiddle )
7. The UK festival industry’s annual revenue rate is projected to rise by 5.7% from 2024-2025. (Source: Ibis World )
8. From 2018-2023, the festival industry grew in market size by 4.0% per year on average. (Source: Ibis World )
9. The UK’s largest festivals are Reading and Leeds and Glastonbury, which have all maintained demand in recent years, selling out in minutes. (Source: Ibis World )
10. In the first three months of 2024, 21 festivals were cancelled or postponed due to funding, a slight reduction from the previous year when 36 were cancelled. (Source: Mix Mag )
11. It has been estimated that the UK festival market will reach a record high of more than £3.22 billion by 2026. (Source: Mintel )
The Festival Goers’ Changing Needs and Attitudes
12. Trends suggest that most people start to book festivals around June each year (Source: Last Minute Musicians )
13. More people are turning to payment plans, such as Klarna’s Pay in 3 methods, to purchase festival tickets over a long period.. (Source: Skiddle )
14. 65% of survey respondents said festival tickets were too expensive in 2024. (Source: Opinum )
15. 73% of festival goers say that watching live music at a festival boosts their mood and impacts buying habits. (Source: Retail Times )
16. 56% of festival goers care more about the environmental impact of festivals than they did in previous years. (Source: CGA )
How the UK Weather Impacts Festivals
17. In 2023, there was 11% more rainfall than usual, with July being particularly wet. This meant that Hyde Park and Lytham Festival had unfavourable weather conditions. (Source: Your Weather )
18. According to ShoeZone’s weather index , the top 5 festivals that are burdened with the worst weather on average are:
- Lytham Festival
- Whitby Gothic Weekend
- Godiva Festival
- TRNSMT Festival
- Kendal Calling
19. According to ShoeZone weather index , the top 5 festivals that typically get the best weather are:
- Summertime Ball
- Glastonbury Festival
- Slam Dunk Festival
- Reading Festival
- Victorious Festival
20. Several festival organisers cancelled or postponed the events because of bad weather in 2023. (Source: NME )
Taking a look at the data, the UK festival industry continues to thrive, albeit with some setbacks, despite current economic and weather conditions.
Are you hosting a business event outdoors or a local festival of your own? We can help enhance that experience. At A&S Landscape, our priority is to provide public spaces with adequate coverage with top-quality canopies.
