Why is?

[Craig_G]

I was just listening to Gil Scott Heron, Whitey on the Moon. It just reminded me that two people I've taken to Glasto on seperate years, have commented on how white the festival is. I hadn't really noticed to be honest until it was pointed out to me but I'm a little shocked at how true it actually is.

I'm not talking about the acts on stage which are truely international and extremely diverse but rather the crowd. And how do you think this compares to other festivals? I'd say Reading is too.

[eFestivals]

I was just listening to Gil Scott Heron, Whitey on the Moon. It just reminded me that two people I've taken to Glasto on seperate years, have commented on how white the festival is. I hadn't really noticed to be honest until it was pointed out to me but I'm a little shocked at how true it actually is.

I'm not talking about the acts on stage which are truely international and extremely diverse but rather the crowd. And how do you think this compares to other festivals? I'd say Reading is too.

festivals as a whole are extremely white ... and dare I say it, middle class. Its a part of that culture, and not a part of other cultures.

It's not helped along by the sorts of reactions that were given last year when Glastonbury went out on a limb and booked one of the world's biggest acts who happens to be black and who happens to do music outside of the average white middle class person's comfort zone. Because of that reaction festivals will be put off booking acts that don't suit white middle class punters, with the result that the white middle class festival-going culture is re-enforced.

Edited June 3, 2009 by eFestivals
correcting my stupid mistake.

[Cheesey]

To be fair over 90% of the people in the UK are white, so it doesn't seem too surprising to me to see a similar ratio at UK festivals.

[gooner1990]

We had a black british girl come with us in 2007....she said she barely saw another black "punter" all weekend (i.e not someone working or performing there)

[glasto_mongrel_2008]

I noticed it too. It's to a weirdly high extent too when you consider the multicultural society we live in.

[Craig_G]

festivals as a whole are extremely white ... and dare I say it, middle class. Its a part of that culture, and not a part of other cultures.

It's not helped along by the sorts of reactions that were given last year when Glastonbury went out on a limb and booked one of the world's biggest acts who happens to be white and who happens to do music outside of the average white middle class person's comfort zone. Because of that reaction festivals will be put off booking acts that don't suit white middle class punters, with the result that the white middle class festival-going culture is re-enforced.

[verrymerry]

I think its just the way it is mate, probably no one reason for it, although as my mate Imran says he's one of the few "Indie-Asian" kids he knows - his words! I know Glastonbury is dead diverse but I think unless you know a bit more about it people might not see that.

I don't think you've opened a can of worms either, its a fair question!

[Craig_G]

We had a black british girl come with us in 2007....she said she barely saw another black "punter" all weekend (i.e not someone working or performing there)

[llcoolphil]

I was just listening to Gil Scott Heron, Whitey on the Moon. It just reminded me that two people I've taken to Glasto on seperate years, have commented on how white the festival is. I hadn't really noticed to be honest until it was pointed out to me but I'm a little shocked at how true it actually is.

I'm not talking about the acts on stage which are truely international and extremely diverse but rather the crowd. And how do you think this compares to other festivals? I'd say Reading is too.

Edited June 3, 2009 by llcoolphil

[Sam Crawley]

I was at a Public Enemy gig in Brixton a while back, and sadly with very few exceptions the only black people were security and on stage. And your observation holds true for the Edinburgh Festival too. Then again, I did watch a fantastic black American comedian doing a routine about visiting foreign countries and his black friends back home always asking him on the phone whether there were any black people in the country he was visiting.. his response for this trip was that the question was mad, as he was in Scotland.. "this is where they make white people, it's the white people's Africa". Brilliant..!

Anyway I don't think it's something to worry about, Glastonbury is very welcoming and inclusive of all colours, races, and people's sexual, food, fashion, weather and other preferences and as long as that remains the case then there is no problem. Peace!

[Craig_G]

Im not sure about Womad - which has the obvious potential for attracting a more diverse audience - but you're dead right with the observation - most festivals are virtually an entirely white affair. I went to Summer Sundae with a black lass last year and she loved it and is coming back this year. But her (not unreasonable) preconception about festivals being mainly about white guitar music - lots of festivals are - had made her never consider going to a festival - Summer Sundae is much more diverse than most. That and the fact that brothers (and sisters) dont do mud, dont do wet and dont do camping - and definitely dont do the combination of all three. One of the things that sold Summer Sundae was the free hot showers and proper toilets!

[pedmills]

festivals as a whole are extremely white ... and dare I say it, middle class. Its a part of that culture, and not a part of other cultures.

It's not helped along by the sorts of reactions that were given last year when Glastonbury went out on a limb and booked one of the world's biggest acts who happens to be white and who happens to do music outside of the average white middle class person's comfort zone. Because of that reaction festivals will be put off booking acts that don't suit white middle class punters, with the result that the white middle class festival-going culture is re-enforced.

[llcoolphil]

It's not helped along by the sorts of reactions that were given last year when Glastonbury went out on a limb and booked one of the world's biggest acts who happens to be white and who happens to do music outside of the average white middle class person's comfort zone. Because of that reaction festivals will be put off booking acts that don't suit white middle class punters, with the result that the white middle class festival-going culture is re-enforced.

[Craig_G]

Oh and for anyone interested, I'd highly recommend checking out the documentary for WattStax ("The Black Woodstock") in 1972. The best and only "western black" music festival I know of.

[fatyeti24]

last year was my first since 2000 and i noticed it very quickly. im still not sure if there were any less black faces than there used to be, or whether i just noticed it last year, or whether it was just the lack of a certain kind of gentleman who used to hang around on the bridges.

[llcoolphil]

To be fair over 90% of the people in the UK are white, so it doesn't seem too surprising to me to see a similar ratio at UK festivals.

[Craig_G]

Not sure what Melas is.

I know a lot of my firends are ditching UK festivals for European though, which is also an interesting trend.

[llcoolphil]

Not sure what Melas is.

I know a lot of my firends are ditching UK festivals for European though, which is also an interesting trend.

[JodiB]

Yes I too noticed the very same thing at my first Glastonbury last year. I spotted 4 non-whites from Saturday night onwards when it suddenly dawned on me. Yes only 4.

It dawned on me when Amy Winehouse came on stage and said "There ain't many black folks here are there ?"

There are all ages and many cultures represented in the make-up of Glastonbury festival but I definitely found it to be an all white, middle-class, middle aged (to a degree) festival. I also found it very English.

This is not a criticism merely an observation.

[Craig_G]

I think I know what you mean about the Melas. I think there's one in Chiswick I've seen.

Interesting to think that I'm being generalised (as are we all as a whole) as white, middle-class, largely middle-aged, crusty hippies. lol

[Billy09]

Try St Pauls or Nottinghill carnivals, and the proportion changes enourmously. It seems a bit simple saying cultural differences, as obviously there are different cultures within even the same ethnic group, but I'm not articulate enough to say exactly what it is, so that'll have to do.

I think camping puts off a lot of people, even a lot of white middle class people, and this may be part of it. The mud doesn't help either: white middle class people have a tendency to enjoy dressing down, I don't think the same applies to other groups.

At the old Bristol Community festival a lot of the kids of Carribean decent used to trek up to the festival, but few really ventured beyond the sound system stage there, despite the fact there must have been 6 or 7 other music/theatre stages there. Do the crowds directly relate to the types of people who buy the records of the performers?

Sorry for any sweeping generalisations I may have made, it is a bit of a touchy subject this one.

[dieweener]

I'm black and can't really say I noticed.

I don't think i'd really care either. I think another problem is that a lot of black people do not like to camp. No idea why, there is not a chance in hell of anyone of my relatives going at all.

I guess for every wigger there is, there's someone like me who goes in the opposite direction.

And as for Jay-Z, I let that cloud my judgement last year and chose not to go, which I deeply regretted, hence why i'm so excited for this years.

[Glastonbury_2011]

There were plenty of black people at last year's festival from what I saw.

[pedmills]

I don't think i'd really care either. I think another problem is that a lot of black people do not like to camp. No idea why, there is not a chance in hell of anyone of my relatives going at all.

Edited June 3, 2009 by pedmills

[mandypants]

It would be interesting to ask a large group of black and Asian people their opinions on festivals and why they don't go. I do know a black girl who goes to festivals, but yeah, she's the only one in a huge group of friends.

I think that Asian people often stick to their own culture, I have certainly noticed that with the non-festival groups of people I am in, they are more than welcome, but perhaps it's intimidating to go into a scene which appears to be white dominated, maybe it's a cultural thing, or perhaps they simply don't want to go. I've been to a Mela once and I found it really interesting, a step into another culture that you wouldn't normally get unless you visited an Asian country during one of their celebrations. There was a really relaxed atmosphere among the people there, lots of sights, sounds and smells, food to try, market stalls and a whole range of entertainment including music, comedy and interactive play sessions for the kids.