Sales are slow this year! WTF?

[gard]

I find it funny that there is a thread with people commenting on the fact that there are still tickets on sale days after the announcement and declaring that the festival therefore must be a failure, but had it sold out in an hour there would be another thread on here with people complaining about how the ticket system was flawed and a pile of crap and See are arseholes because they didn't get a ticket! What would you rather? A mad panic on 14 phones and a computer trying your hardest to get through, or to have the time to think about the line up, look at who you are interested in seeing, arrange with your mates about going and then picking up a ticket? I know which I would prefer personally.

At the end of the day the festival is not a failure because tickets last a bit longer than normal, and it certainly isn't a weak line-up. WeakER than last year maybe, no acts that make you think I HAVE TO GET A TICKET NOW but certainly not a weak lineup. These are tough times, people need more than 30 seconds to decide whether to splash out over £200 or not, to everyone saying how this is egg in the face of the organisers, and how they must be terrified because they have tickets left, do you seriously think they are in the slightest bit worried yet?? If the festivals started in 2 weeks then maybe, but its March, they will still sell out, do organisers care if it does it now or in July? I doubt it!

I forgot that tickets were going on sales and was out, but was more than happy when I got back and looked to see how long they had sold out in and found there were still some waiting for me! This will be the first time I have gone since 03 and I am really looking forward to it, sell out or no sell out? I don't really care, all that matters to me is that I like bands that are playing and that I go and have a great time, the only people bricking it right now will be the touts, and good enough for them!

[chappiepunk]

What would you rather?

[RichieParf]

I think this is extremely difficult to analyse. I'm sure the economic climate has something to do with it, but then you are left asking why V festival has sold out but Reading hasn't. If its then down to the lineup, does that reflect people not being interested in rock music anymore? If so, why did last year still sell out so quickly?

I also wonder if Reading being one of the last to announce may have something to do with it. I lack the necessary statistics (and chronology) to answer this question effectively, but many aspects of the economic situation (flat growth, recent rise in fuel prices) have only emerged in the last few months, and many of the festivals that have sold out may have missed out on that news. But then again, has the outlook really changed that significanty since last year? Or is it just that the effects aremonly being felt now? But then how has v festival managed to sell out?

I also agree that R+L's demographic may explain the lack of sales, as young people have been hit particulalry hard and that tends to be the R+L crowd. My question would be whether this is realistically any different to V festival. I've never been to V so couldn't comment, but if V is also predominantly young people then wouldnt that rule out the above argument?

[Bisque]

It would have sold out in seconds if Tinie Tempah was subbing Friday.

[chappiepunk]

Early entry for reading seem to have gone again from seetickets, im sure they will be back up at some point tho.

[eFestivals]

I think this is extremely difficult to analyse. I'm sure the economic climate has something to do with it, but then you are left asking why V festival has sold out but Reading hasn't. If its then down to the lineup, does that reflect people not being interested in rock music anymore? If so, why did last year still sell out so quickly?

I also wonder if Reading being one of the last to announce may have something to do with it. I lack the necessary statistics (and chronology) to answer this question effectively, but many aspects of the economic situation (flat growth, recent rise in fuel prices) have only emerged in the last few months, and many of the festivals that have sold out may have missed out on that news. But then again, has the outlook really changed that significanty since last year? Or is it just that the effects aremonly being felt now? But then how has v festival managed to sell out?

I also agree that R+L's demographic may explain the lack of sales, as young people have been hit particulalry hard and that tends to be the R+L crowd. My question would be whether this is realistically any different to V festival. I've never been to V so couldn't comment, but if V is also predominantly young people then wouldnt that rule out the above argument?

I'd say the economic climate has a lot to do with it. Not exclusively, but a lot.

The demographic at V is very very different to R/L. At R/L there a very large proportion of people aged under 20 (with a decent chunk of those aged 16-18), something which probably isn't mirrored at any other festival, and certainly not in the numbers that are at R/L.

I suspect that a large part of those younger people have their tickets paid for by their parents. Those parents are feeling the squeeze directly themselves and from just that aspect might not feel able to spend money on their kid(s) for an unnecessary leisure activity in the way they've been happy to in previous years.

Then there's the more indirect factors of what parents will spend on their kids. With youth unemployment now at 20%, they know there's less chance that their kid is going to be earning after the summer than's been the case in other years, meaning that they're more likely to have to spend money on their kid's day-to-day existence.

And then of course there's hugely increased uni fees, which parents are likely to think is a better spend of their money than a festival, so that their kid(s) don't start life with massive debts. I'd say that many parents of kids still a few years off going to uni will now be thinking about this, putting money aside for when it's needed.

And of course finally, R/L is one of the most expensive festivals in the UK. Parents or those kids might be prepared to spend on a festival, but might decide that they'd rather spend a lower amount on a different festival (and free up money for more beer or whatever else by doing so).

But having said all of that, I don't doubt it will sell out even if it takes a few months.

[Guckeery]

I think going over £200 is a key point. It may sound stupid but it's comparable to something selling at £4.99 rather than £5. The price increase this year is similar to previous years however it has pushed it over another hundredth which would have a psychological effect on the buyers. I'm not saying this is the main factor but I think it would have an effect. Maybe

[rexclark]

I think going over £200 is a key point. It may sound stupid but it's comparable to something selling at £4.99 rather than £5. The price increase this year is similar to previous years however it has pushed it over another hundredth which would have a psychological effect on the buyers. I'm not saying this is the main factor but I think it would have an effect. Maybe

[Guckeery]

I would disagree, If you were in a shop and really wanted something and were willing to spend £4.99 on it then you saw it and it cost £5.50 you'd spend the extra cash. Same goes for the festival, if someone really wanted to go an extra £20 wouldn't stop them.

[loscfestivals]

At these prices, demand won't be far off meeting supply even in the years where the lineup is a bit special.

Getting upto £220 now for Camping and Early birds, in 2008 it was just £172 for this. That is a huge increase in price. There has also not been the same difficulty in picking up tickets the last two years, both years loads of tickets have gone cheap. Not just a few on the day or day before the fest for a good month last year there were bargains galore over ebay.

Loads of other festivals are getting more and more popular. Creamfields sells a shed load of camping tickets the same weekend and although not an obvious rival to Leeds it does share a good number of the same festival goers. Loads of people I know alternate between the two depending on lineup.

This year the price and the lineup (really how many of those bands sell phenomenal amounts of tickets in 2011?) just doesn't make it value for money. There is no wow factor, it is a very expensive weekend to see something pretty unspectacular.

If it is all down to the economic climate then why in 09 and last year could they manage instant sell outs, to presumably the same demographic?

Edited March 25, 2011 by loscfestivals

[Dirty Boots]

Still not sold out.

[RichieParf]

If it is all down to the economic climate then why in 09 and last year could they manage instant sell outs, to presumably the same demographic?

[Keva]

I think this years lineup is a little better then 2004 and that took about 2 weeks to sell out IIRC.

[Buko]

Early birds have sold out for both R&L now, so people are still buying tickets, surely it must be close to selling out after every pre sale sold out as well as the vodafone VIP

[dan666]

I am surprised, im used to seeing it selling out in hours!

[eFestivals]

ultimately, I think it not selling out in an instant will be good for festivals.

Firstly it opens Reading & Leeds up to an audience who haven't been able to get tickets in recent years - those people who aren't instant buyers the moment tickets go on sale. Tickets have only been available to the dead-keen - who are mostly established festie goers - in recent years. It means a new audience can get to ecxperience festivals, and once they've done one many of them will do more.

It'll also be a kick up the arse to any organisers who are getting a little complacent - meaning that they'll try harder to put together an great all-round festival package from now on.

[mrtourette]

It'll also be a kick up the arse to any organisers who are getting a little complacent - meaning that they'll try harder to put together an great all-round festival package from now on.

[RichieParf]

It'll also be a kick up the arse to any organisers who are getting a little complacent - meaning that they'll try harder to put together an great all-round festival package from now on.

[pink_triangle]

I Think this year the majority of bands seem to be one slot higher than you would expect. I suspect this is a bit of a money saving policy. However if doesn work maybe they will realise they cant afford to short change the audience.

[Rudzkii]

Apparently around 4,000 tickets left for Reading, apparently.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-12859713

[rexclark]

It'll also be a kick up the arse to any organisers who are getting a little complacent - meaning that they'll try harder to put together an great all-round festival package from now on.

[mrtourette]

I wonder if they'll change the 'no box office on site policy' if tickets don't sell out.

[ar1]

Agree with everything Neil says and it's quite nice to think that as the tickets haven't all gone real fans will get the chance to buy them at face value rather than have to pay a tout on eBay.

As for the chances of a box office, I expect that they will be pulled off sale after a couple more weeks then they'll be a big fuss about a second annoucment and a new batch of tickets released - they'll all be gone by August

[chappiepunk]

I wonder if they'll change the 'no box office on site policy' if tickets don't sell out.

[mrtourette]

I remember the last year they had the box office, it was chaos.