Hop Farm 2012

[markm69]

Something i forgot earlier....

The busker who played between the entrance and arena entrance around 6pm on

the Saturday.

He sounded like a young Bob Dylan, and should be playing to larger crowds than he was.

Even though that crowd was very big.

Well worth a listen whoever he was.

[StoneCircle]

Something i forgot earlier....

The busker who played between the entrance and arena entrance around 6pm on

the Saturday.

He sounded like a young Bob Dylan, and should be playing to larger crowds than he was.

Even though that crowd was very big.

Well worth a listen whoever he was.

[markm69]

Is this the chap you mean?

http://www.lewisfloy...y.com/news.html

Yes he was very good and hope a gets a set of his own on one of the stages next year!

Had a great weekend too, very friendly festival. No long queues or long walks and a decent line-up.

:-)

[StoneCircle]

No mate, he was on on the Sunday around 3pm. I saw him pushing four kids in to a

tent to get them out of the rain !!!!

The lad i mean was blonde, around 24.

[Moon Monkey]

Great place and nice people but for me something missing.

No comedy or something different in the day. You don't have to be big to do that.

[eFestivals]

Anyone know how many were actually at the festival? And also the capacity? Thanks

I believe the capacity is 52,000.

[Cooter]

Anyone know how many were actually at the festival?

[Cooter]

What was going on in the background?

[PastCaring]

There were definitely some heavy hints in the press in the run up to the festival about a worrying lack of ticket sales.......

[Cooter]

Is this the chap you mean?

http://www.lewisfloy...y.com/news.html

Yes he was very good and hope a gets a set of his own on one of the stages next year!

Had a great weekend too, very friendly festival. No long queues or long walks and a decent line-up.

:-)

[glasto-worker]

in 2009 they had ' free tickets with a rain mac ' http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/jul/04/hop-farm-festival-ticket-promotion

each year if you knew where to look it was possible to buy cheap tickets and some years they allowed access to the ' Guest area ' to people who bought cheap tickets . { just before anyone jumps in and points to Vince's claim there is no guest/VIP area - trust me there is and they even have a guest bar - as you look at the stage its on the left hand side and I have been in it - now I don't have a clue what a guest is called - all I know there is what I would describe a guest area which you can only enter with a special wrist band }

so he now has a problem as I reckon most people would hang back.

How many posting here paid full price for their tickets ?

[fairy_]

I paid full price for my day ticket. I can afford it and want to support the festival so I didn't look for cheap tickets (even though I know they're out there).

[johnl]

I paid £150 quid. I thought it was great value and I'm not bothered if people picked up cheap/free tickets later. If it somehow helps the festival continue then I'm pleased.

Definitely one I'll consider again next year. I hope they can find a formula that will ensure the festival's survival.

[Cooter]

I paid full price x2 and a campervan ticket for £90 so that's big money. But I'm not annoyed, even if it is a tad overpriced for what you get. It was nice to secure the tickets well before rather than hope for late cheap ones. I also took three young children with me so I couldn't mess about telling them it's on and then no it isn't. Hop Farms very local to me so I really hope it gets some sort of following behind it, which in turn will make it grow into something special. It's nice now, but a Reading fest sort of size with a Glasto atmosphere would be perfect. Maybe a dance tent would be the easiest/cheapest way to encourage more sales. Then an acoustic tent, then a comedy tent, more camping space, more parking, £2 million to the police, job done!

On a slightly different subject, I think the rule of no trailer tents or caravans in the campervan fields doesn't do Vince any favours whatsoever.

[BeeMee]

We bought early birds x2, our friends x2 all at £130. I got x2 tickets for daughter & boyfriend for £150 plus early bird campervan pass (despite having a caravan but I asked on facebook and they said caravans were welcome back when I got them) £70.

I then had various email exchanges and got permission to bring the caravan as it seems the terms & conditions had changed (altho it said no caravans last year which is why I asked!). This is why we were one of the few caravans there and we had to take the pickup to the car park.

We had an excellent weekend and all enjoyed ourselves. The camping seemed pretty full by the friday so I don't know what they would have done had they sold a lot more camping tickets!

My only gripe was the treck from the campervan field coz we're getting on a bit

I'm not sure we could go again unless they allow caravans officially, plus we're hoping on Glasto tickets and it's only a week between. Might manage a day though as we're only just over an hour away.

[Cooter]

My only gripe was the treck from the campervan field coz we're getting on a bit

I'm not sure we could go again unless they allow caravans officially, plus we're hoping on Glasto tickets and it's only a week between. Might manage a day though as we're only just over an hour away.

[shoebox]

I paid full price for a day ticket last year, as the Morrissey day had such a strong line-up. But the bill this year was a bit thin for my tastes, so we weren't going to bother.

But when the Supajam offer popped up, it was too good to refuse. Even if that 10 quid we paid for the two of us was for Suede alone, it would have been worth it.

The thing is, unless it's an amazing line-up that is liable to sell out, we'll probably do the same next year and wait for the cheap/free tickets. We were spoilt with that offer.

It's not our only festival, but it is so close to home, that I'm always interested in who they put on. My friends actually live across the road, so if we were ever to do the whole weekend, we wouldn't even need to camp. It's an ideal set-up for us, if they get the line-up spot on for our tastes.

[MaxMaz]

I bought an early bird ticket last year, so fullish price, and am thinking of doing the same this year. They've not been clear whether it's a 2 or 3 day event next year which is why I haven't yet bought a ticket, as I want to support the festival.

I'm really undecided about the cheap tickets, I bought one in 2011 to see the Eagles, £5.60 from Supajam, and it's got me to return to the festival again at full price. But I do think the huge danger is that Vince is damaging the brand of the festival as people are now expecting cheap tickets and not buying early on. Once you get that sort of reputation it's hard to shift, just look at some high street stores that are struggling.

I'm really interested to know how close the festival came to not happening this year as it sounds like the line up was a massive struggle, and the turnout seemed pretty low on the actual days.

[eFestivals]

I'm really interested to know how close the festival came to not happening this year

as far as i'm aware, there was no risk of the festival not going ahead this year.

[fairy_]

With Fleetwood Mac now down for a tour next year, this is my first prediction for a headliner for hop farm 2013...

[smudger]

I paid full price and it was pretty well worth it. Music was good, primal scream in particular, but certainly something missing once the headline acts were done. The breakfast bus kept us going on the friday night but that was closed down for the rest of the weekend (too loud apparently).

Also the site lacked any of the arty bits that makes a festival 'interesting' when you're doing the wanding around in the 'oh-everythings-gone-all-twinkley' state. Otherwise a top weekend and would go again but reading about the cheap tickets unless there was a real headliner i wanted to see on such a small venue (like Prince last year) i'd wait.

[MaxMaz]

I see Music Festivals, Vince Power's company posted a profits warning last week and will be showing a loss for this year which is sad.

I do fear for the festival now, it can't keep making a loss.

[fairy_]

Shame but probably not all that surprising? HF were worryingly clear about how difficult they'd found putting on the festival this year, so I'm sure they would have known this for a good few months. Fingers crossed next year will see a change in fortunes.

[Medina]

Further proof of what a difficult summer it's been for festivals large and small. A few including Beautiful Days, Shrewsbury and my own at Wickham have bucked the trend and seen ticket sales increase but many others have found it very difficult indeed and I fear some will not return in 2013.

[fairy_]

Further proof of what a difficult summer it's been for festivals large and small. A few including Beautiful Days, Shrewsbury and my own at Wickham have bucked the trend and seen ticket sales increase but many others have found it very difficult indeed and I fear some will not return in 2013.