Are Music Festivals a Fading Fad?

Some of us Festival goers at Big Day Out

On Friday I went to Big Day Out (BDO) in Sydney, a massive annual music festival that strikes across Australia in five major cities. Kicking off in 1992 the festival is celebrated around Australia Day and offers a mixed bag of music to suit anybody's fancy.

Some of my housemates friends travelled to Sydney from New Zealand to see the lineup, which included the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Killers, Bloody Beetroots, Vampire Weekend and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. In the past the festival has made the rounds at Auckland, but BDO goers were forced to travel to Australia for the festivals after a massive sink in ticket sales.

Is the slump in festival goers leading to the end of Australian music festivals as we know it?

The Sydney BDO festival was sold out, despite the 46 degree heat on the day (it was basically a sea of sweaty bodies fighting to get as close to the stage to collect some of the artists sweat to mix with their own...that's counted as a brush of fame right?)

Parklife, a smaller Festival based in Sydney each year.

For me the concept of paying about $150 for a day in which you get to enjoy many bands (unlike a concert) and (if you survive) enjoying the vibe of a good mosh pit is well worth the value. But can the core group of buyers (your young adults or late teens) afford to pay this much for one day, plus food that verges on anything to $15 for a small plate, alcohol which can be over $10 for mid strength and water that costed a massive $4.50.

Despite the huge crowds of festival goers, festival income is on the decline, as is the numbers of tickets purchased (source). Whether this is because the fees for bands has gone up, the price of renting the grounds or the overall costs of running a successful festival have increased, compared to other music income in Australia, festivals aren't doing their bit.

So I encourage all of you to make a stand and support Australian music festivals before we too have to travel miles to enjoy the likes of some of the worlds most amazing musical performers!