Economic Value Of Festivals Revealed

The huge value and contribution of UK festivals to the British economy has been quantified in an overreaching survey of 3,300 festival goers undertaken by the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF).AIF member festivals alone, which include Secret Garden Party, WOMAD and Glade, attracted around 340,000 people this summer. Spending an average £408 per person, they contributed in excess of £135 million into the UK economy.With 60% of festival goers staying for 3–4 days in the area surrounding the festival, spending on average £48 each, an additional £16.3 million was directly inputted into local economies.Ranging in size from Glasgowbury at just 1,000 people to Creamfields with over 40,000, AIF’s 19 member festivals generate on average £1million each for local towns and businesses. Bestival making £600,000 for ferry companies alone each year, and the non camping festival Evolution estimated to boost the economy of the twin cities of Newcastle and Gateshead by £2.9 million.With over 300 festivals having taken place in the UK this summer, the total amount of revenue generated across the whole festival landscape for local businesses is projected to be staggering.The survey also highlighted the types of people who go to festivals and the diversity of entertainment on offer. Often perceived as just being for music aficionados, over 60% of festival goers said that the main reason they attended festivals is for the atmosphere, with 42% spending less than half of their time at the festival watching music, a percentage that rises to 70% in the case of the Secret Garden Party.With audience travel being the greatest source of festivals’ greenhouse gas emissions, attention was also paid to the modes of transport used by festival goers. 60% of respondents travelled by car, of which 44% travelling with 3 or more people per vehicle.Claire O'Neill, co-founder of A Greener Festival and AIF general manager said: "It is clear that independent festivals make a significant contribution not only culturally, but also to the local and UK economy. It is also good to see the positive steps being taken by events to minimise the environmental impact of events. We adhere to keep stepping in the right direction."Hugh Phillimore, founder of the Cornbury Festival said "Not only do we fill every B&B, pub and hotel within a 10 mile radius; lots of local shops stay open to benefit from the extra custom. Cornbury not only makes a huge contribution to the local economy but also supports fundraising for local schools, brownies, scouts."AIF FESTIVAL AUDIENCE SURVEY: 2009Methodology3300 Festival goers from the UK and around the world took part in what is believed to be the one of the most detailed surveys of UK festival behaviour.The online survey was sent by AIF member festivals direct to their fan mailing lists. 55% of respondents were female, 43% aged 25-35.Reason for attending60% of the respondents said that the general atmosphere and overall “vibe” of the festival is the single most important reason for choosing which festival to attend. For Secret Garden Party this response was 82%. Overall just 25% said music generally and 8% said headliners were their main reason for attending a festival. Although Creamfields, Field Day and Underage were all more popular for the music generally with 44%, 61% and 52% respectively.Habits42% of festival goers spend 50% or less of their time at a festival watching music; 25% spend 60% of their time watching music; 33% spend 70%+ of their time watching music. Camp Bestival and Secret Garden Party audience spend least time watching music with 60% and 70% spending less than 50% of their time watching music. Creamfields and Underage are most popular for music with 64% and 73% of time spend watching music respectively.40% spend up to 20% of their time doing non-music entertainment activities, 44% spend 30 – 49% of time doing non-music entertainment activities. 21% of Camp Bestival and 28% of Secret Garden Party audience spend more than 50% of their time doing non-music entertainments.60% of festival goers spend 3-4 days in the local area of the festival. Of the respondents Glade goers spend most time at the festival with an average 3 days 16hrs.SpendingRespondents spent an average of £408 each per festival, which includes ticket, travel and subsistence.On average, festival goers spent £48 in the local area surrounding the festival. Big Session and Belladrum attendees spend most in the local area with £62 and £63 respectively.TravelJust over a third of respondents were from the South East of England. It was found that 60% of audience travel to the festivals by car. 44% travel with three or more people in the car. It is encouraging to see that so many are sharing transport.Field Day had by far the largest response for people travelling by public transport, with just under 80% of respondents taking the tube or bus to Victoria Park, London.Outside London, Summer Sundae Weekender and Big Sessions festivals scored highest with more than 50% of their audiences using public transport or walking to the festivals.Setting an example to us all though were the 250 people from 5 major cities who cycled to Shambala Festival  in Northamptonshire and the 12 brave if foolhardy people who swam across the Solent to Bestival on the Isle of Wight.Accommodation 79% of festival goers camp on-site overall. Glade, Secret Garden Party and Bloom festival have the highest on site tent campers with 90%, 93% and 94% respectively. 5% go in campervans overall with Camp Bestival and Big Session having most Campervans at 9% and 10% respectively. 11% stay at home overall, although Underage and Summer Sundae Weekender have mainly home stays with 48% and 47%. Just 3% use hotels or B&B’s overall. Creamfields and Field Day have the most hotel users with 11% and 13%.Information sourcesThe official festival website is the most common place for audiences to find out about the festival, with 65% of respondents. Word of mouth was selected by 58%, followed by festival community websites at 49%. 34% use social networking sites to find out about festivals. Highest word of mouth response was for Secret Garden Party and Bloom Festival at 73% and 71%. Creamfields and Bestival have the most popular official websites with 73% and 70% of audience sourcing their information there.2009’s Top Twelve Festival Factoids1 - At the Big Chill, 4,026 zombie-costumed fans shuffled and groaned their way into the Guinness Book of Records for the world’s largest gathering of zombies.  Revelers were encouraged to become temporarily undead by Warp Films and Film4, who were shooting scenes for the world’s biggest (and first) audience participation zombie movie, “I Spit on Your Rave”.2 - Shambala saw 250 people engage in a spontaneous act of synchronised 'krumping', an underground dance craze that originated amongst the youth of LA as a means of keeping them away from gang violence.  Hopefully it will have the same effect on the youth of rural Northamptonshire.3 - 70% of the hits on the official Glade website are from outside of the UK.  Judging by the behavior of some of the punters, the remaining 30% are from other planets.5 - It’s often said that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was Creamfields, which took 2 weeks to build and 7 days to come down.  Ouch!4 - More than 50% of the audience for Big Sessions and the Summer Sundae Weekender arrived by public transport, by bicycle, or on foot.6 - Video coverage of the main stage at Northern Ireland’s Glasgowbury captured an inadvertent world record attempt, as an amorous young couple engaged in what some onlookers described as the longest continuous kissing session in living history. Steadying their weak knees against the crash barrier at the front of the main stage, the sultry snoggers locked tongues just as electro rock outfit The Jane Bradfords took to the stage, and their embrace remained unbroken until well after the group had disembarked - some 40 minutes later. Love was certainly in the air for the lucky couple, who became something of a tourist attraction as hordes of festival-goers lined up to have their picture taken alongside the passionate pair.  They will be disappointed to learn that they fell agonizingly short of the official record by a paltry 30 hours and 5 minutes.7 - UNDERAGE on Victoria Park is the only outdoor festival exclusively for 14 - 18 year olds, attracting 10,000 young revelers with a combined age of more than 150,000 years.8 - Bestival fans spend £600,000 on Ferries every year.  Given that the festival lasts five days, that works out at over £100,000 a day.  They could have rocked up in Ferraris for that money.9 - Over 100 DJs and 20 live acts performed at this year’s Creamfields.  There were 12 bars at the festival, which works out at less than 1 bar for every 10 performers.  Risky business.10 – Cornbury employs litter picking volunteer teams of scouts and brownies, but to avoid accusations of Dickensianism it pays a contribution towards their organisations, and also lets in over-70s free.11 – Scotland’s Belladrum Tartan Festival was the UK’s most northerly festival attracting a crowd who ranged in age from four weeks to 90!12 - Sunrise and One Love used 100% compost toilets including for crew.