As Worthy Farm in Somerset prepares to open its doors to 135,000 people for this week’s Glastonbury Festival, new data from CGA shows that festival-goers spend an average of £123 beyond the price of their ticket at a typical festival.

The research reveals that consumers spend an average of £23.71 per day on food, and £32.27 per day on alcoholic drinks—figures that equate to nearly a third of the average Briton’s total monthly spend on eating and drinking out.

CGA’s exclusive ‘Festival Tracks’ study, based on a 2018 survey of nearly 10,000 festival-goers, also finds that consumers take a relaxed approach to spending at festival. Two in five (41%) say they spend what is necessary rather than stick to a set budget, while a third (32%) keep to a limit and a quarter (26%) allocate themselves a set amount of money but top it up if they run out.

For attendees of Glastonbury, lager is the most frequently purchased drink at festivals, with gin and craft beer being among the categories which are more popular for Glastonbury visitors than the average festival. The study further reveals that 52% choose mainstream lager brands at festivals, despite favouring more premium products in the wider on trade market.

For drinks producers, Glastonbury presents an opportunity for new product development, since more than half (57%) of attendees have tried a new drink at festivals and expressed an openness to exploring new flavours and drinks. When asked how their festival experience could be improved, Glastonbury-goers identified a wider selection of food, the ability to pay for food and drink by credit card, a wider selection of beers and more experiences for children as priorities.

CGA’s Client Director, Matthew Mullock said, “Our UK Festival Tracks shows the huge scale of the food and drink market at Glastonbury and other festivals. Many people are clearly prepared to throw caution to the wind with their spending and to try new drinks, which makes festivals an important sales and marketing opportunity for suppliers to encourage trial, improve brand perceptions and drive product loyalty—both on site and in off-trade venues in the run-up to events.”

The study also highlights the higher ethical and sustainability expectations that Glastonbury attendees have compared to the average festival-goer. More than half (55%) expect all festivals to tackle their environmental impacts, and a similar number (53%) are concerned about the wastage associated with festivals.

“Sustainability is increasingly a consideration for consumers when it comes to choosing which festivals to attend, and Glastonbury’s ‘Leave No Trace’ pledge is making them even more aware of environmental issues, while placing the onus of responsibility on festival goers,” commented Mullock.

“Our findings show that festival-goers have high expectations of brands at festivals, following exposure to some great examples of brands adding to festival experiences through sustainable and ethical activities, commended by our UK Festival Awards winners in the past. Brands should ensure that any activations are complementary, ultimately keeping in line with the ethos of the festival.”

Following a fallow year in 2018, Festival Tracks reveals that usual Glastonbury attendees were more likely to visit alternatives such as Bluedot, British Summer Time and Boomtown Fair, last summer and provides further detail into the habits, opinions and needs of festival-goers in the UK market.

(source: CGA, image: pexels)