Bearded Theory 2023

[Nobody Interesting]

12 hours ago, Paul ™ said:

Where you getting that figure from? Out our usual group of 100+, about 10% are not going this year for various reasons.

 

Lots of adding up of numbers I have seen on groups and talking to people - I know a lot who are trying other festivals instead who only did the one. I genuinely think it is a lot of people not going this year because they really hated the crowds last year so do not want to risk it.

[Perks]

14 hours ago, Nobody Interesting said:

There are an awful lot of the old punters who are not going this year, maybe even as many as 3000-4000 and that is a big chunk out of any festival. The new owners and increased capacity have put lots off as well as finances being tight.
My worry is that the demographic will change as a result and it will be that which changes the festival rather than the new owners.

BD sold out fast as it is the 20th - and so many people go to 'anniversary' festivals and then not again. 

We are doing BT and BD too

Jeez, thats some figure, i really hope the demographic doesn't change, been going since 2012, met so many nice people there, more than any other festival, the folk at BT have always been a big part of it for me. All our lot are still going, and 2 extras.

[Nobody Interesting]

38 minutes ago, Perks said:

Jeez, thats some figure, i really hope the demographic doesn't change, been going since 2012, met so many nice people there, more than any other festival, the folk at BT have always been a big part of it for me. All our lot are still going, and 2 extras.

You have no idea how much I want to be wrong and the demographic stays as it always has been.

[Karlhippy]

Ah well, see how it goes this year. It may also be our last one as well if we don't 'feel the vibe'.

I wouldn't be surprised if it's the last year we can take our own beers into the arena.

[Johnnyseven]

1 minute ago, Karlhippy said:

I wouldn't be surprised if it's the last year we can take our own beers into the arena.

I hope not. I think this is probably a big selling point for a lot of people who go [it is for me, even though I don't drink that much these days], if they remove it they should expect a big exodus of previously loyal punters.

Didn't think I was going to make BT this year but some friends have just asked if I fancy it so I may be there after all!

[Nobody Interesting]

26 minutes ago, Karlhippy said:

I wouldn't be surprised if it's the last year we can take our own beers into the arena.

My thoughts too.

[Paul ™]

3 hours ago, Nobody Interesting said:

Lots of adding up of numbers I have seen on groups and talking to people - I know a lot who are trying other festivals instead who only did the one. I genuinely think it is a lot of people not going this year because they really hated the crowds last year so do not want to risk it.

So complete and utter guesswork 🙄

Edited April 28, 2023 by Paul ™

[Nobody Interesting]

9 minutes ago, Paul ™ said:

So complete and utter guesswork 🙄

If talking to people and adding up those saying they are not going is guesswork then yes - I choose to call it educated guesswork.

[Paul ™]

4 minutes ago, Nobody Interesting said:

If talking to people and adding up those saying they are not going is guesswork then yes - I choose to call it educated guesswork.

How many people have you surveyed for this educated guess to get the 3000-4000 from? And you mention groups, is this FB groups you are taking the data from?

As I said, around 100+ in our usual group, and about 10% not going, but also some new people from our group too are going. 

Edited April 28, 2023 by Paul ™

[Nobody Interesting]

1 minute ago, Paul ™ said:

How many people have you surveyed for this educated guess? And you mention groups, is this FB groups you are taking the data from?

As I said, around 100+ in our usual group, and about 10% not going, but also some new people from our group too are going. 

FB, Twitter - both groups and official pages. As for number of people, in excess of 500 via chatting in other festival groups many of whom I know personally and whose groups are choosing to give it a miss this year to 'see how it goes'.

I hope that is enough detail for you. Even if it were just your 'about 10%' then that is 1,500 people not going if taken as a percentage of the capacity and even that is a fairly large demographic change that may have a detrimental effect on the overall feel....... and as I said in other comments, you have no idea how much I want to be wrong and that it stays as special as it always has been.

[Paul ™]

I think you've plucked it out the air to be honest, but we will see I guess next month. 

Ticket sales aren't 15000 btw, that's total number on site.

 

 

[Perks]

I just had an email with day splits from See Tickets, saying tickets on sale now.

let me see if I can add...

[Perks]

Just now, Perks said:

I just had an email with day splits from See Tickets, saying tickets on sale now.

let me see if I can add...

did we know this before? Think im losing me mind

[Paul ™]

Yes we had the day splits ages ago, the stage splits will be out shortly.

[Nobody Interesting]

1 hour ago, Paul ™ said:

Ticket sales aren't 15000 btw, that's total number on site.

 

 

I hope that is right, I said the 15k cos that's what BT said in whenever the tickets went on sale but maybe they did mean on site.

[Perks]

1 hour ago, Paul ™ said:

Yes we had the day splits ages ago, the stage splits will be out shortly.

Haha, got excited, posted then thought, i think i've seen this before, defo lost it!!

[Paul ™]

39 minutes ago, Nobody Interesting said:

I hope that is right, I said the 15k cos that's what BT said in whenever the tickets went on sale but maybe they did mean on site.

The overal site licence has been for 15k for years, only utilised last year to full capacity (and less than that in 2018)

[Paul ™]

11 minutes ago, Perks said:

Haha, got excited, posted then thought, i think i've seen this before, defo lost it!!

🤣 

[Johnnyseven]

3 hours ago, Karlhippy said:

I wouldn't be surprised if it's the last year we can take our own beers into the arena.

Just been swimming, which is quite boring but gave me time to think about this.

I thought that bans on taking your own drinks into arenas at festivals usually came as a condition of the contract when selling the drinks concession to a 3rd party to run. I'd be surprised if the company now running the festival could change the drinks contract conditions to an arena ban on own drinks without fundamentally changing the beer/cider offering at the festival. If they sold the drinks concession contract to one company, they would likely offer a much smaller range of drinks, and from less smaller breweries to maximise profit. Being as one of the big draws of BT is the 'beer festival' type offering of ales etc, changing this as well as would likely be a step too far for a lot of punters so would be shooting themselves in the foot. Basically it'd become just another festival with, at best, ok beer but a decent-ish line up - it'd lose the 'unique selling point' that it currently has.

Edited April 28, 2023 by Johnnyseven

[Karlhippy]

Good point, I bring cans [of course], but I do buy a few at the bars though [nice fancy crafty ales].

[Johnnyseven]

13 minutes ago, Karlhippy said:

Good point, I bring cans [of course], but I do buy a few at the bars though [nice fancy crafty ales].

I don't drink that much these days but do like a nice ale or cider, if there was a arena ban on own drinks and the beer available at the bars was shit I either wouldn't go to the festival or wouldn't bother buying any beer from the bars and would just drink my own outside the arena. The arena isn't that big, I envisage what would happen is that people would set up camp with a picnic blanket and their bag of cans just outside the arena and just pop inside for the sets they want to see. The following year nobody would want to buy the beer concession and things would go back to how they are currently.

Edited April 28, 2023 by Johnnyseven

[Nobody Interesting]

45 minutes ago, Paul ™ said:

The overal site licence has been for 15k for years, only utilised last year to full capacity (and less than that in 2018)

Ah OK. My understanding was due to the Official page commenting on a thread in September on the old archived chat and they said there were 15k tickets. I have had  a very quick look for it but cannot find it but don't fancy looking much more cos it was when the group when boobs up with nastiness so to speak.

Fingers and many toes crossed that it remains as it was for many years to come.

[Karlhippy]

Have a good weekend folks.

Northern Kin [a bit far for me] on this weeknd with a good lineup - https://www.northernkinfestival.co.uk/line-up/

Beltane [housedrawn camp] also on near Worcester

 

[Paul ™]

1 hour ago, Nobody Interesting said:

Ah OK. My understanding was due to the Official page commenting on a thread in September on the old archived chat and they said there were 15k tickets. I have had  a very quick look for it but cannot find it but don't fancy looking much more cos it was when the group when boobs up with nastiness so to speak.

Fingers and many toes crossed that it remains as it was for many years to come.

Although staff, crew, traders, artists don't have a physical ticket, they are all still allocated a wristband on the accreditation system. They all count towards the official licensed capacity, so while DHP have said there is 15000 tickets, that's not the on sale quantity. 

[BlueDaze]

So, I got the caravan out to start getting it prepped and ready over the next couple of long weekends.. which got me looking (a tad early perhaps) at route planning..

coming from the east, i usually take A14, M6, Toll and then A38 and in past the National Memorial Arboretum... but have noticed on google maps that after NMA and the small railway bridge, you would normally bear left onto the road that leads to the site.. but that is marked as 'Closed'.... 

anyone know what that is about? It has the potential to cause horrendous traffic if true...