Eavis to sell 40% of Glasto tickets over the phone
Strange news this. Glastonbury festival honcho Michael Eavis has said that there’s gonna be some changes to the way tickets are sold for next year’s Glastonbury Festival. In an (misguided?) attempt to attract younger festival goers, Eavis says around 40% of tickets will now be sold over the telephone. Out of touch there a bit Mike.
Eavis explained to BBC Somerset Sound that the change will be made because they feel many 16 to 18-year-olds have mobile phones but might not have fast internet connections. He said that this year’s Glastonbury was noticeably short of about 30,000 to 40,000 young people, and that the tickets had generally been bought by older people with faster internet access.
Now, is it me, or do most young people possess more internet knowledge than their folks, and thus, using their parents ‘faster internet’, are far more savvy when it comes to ticket purchase.
“The problem with the clientèle at the moment is that they’re becoming a bit older and a bit more clever and they’ve got the gear to buy the tickets as they have fast access to the ticket system and can buy more”, he said. “These people are perfectly nice and adorable, but we want the late teens because they help to make the character of the festival so it’s really important to get them on board.”
Eavis reckons that the ticket people won’t like it because it will be more difficult for them, but teenagers have a lot to offer, and it was their presence in the past that made the festival how it used to be.
Surely the main reason for young people’s absence is the price of the weekend? After you’ve bought your ticket, travel, tent and left some money over for food, fags and booze, you’re looking at £300+. With, say, Reading Festival, at least you can hop on the train and walk from the town centre to the festival site - a luxury that Glasto cannot afford. To include teens, you surely need to find a way of selling tickets by text as, it is true that kids have mobiles, but do they have the credit to keep ringing the ticket office all day? What are your thoughts readers?
Tickets for next year’s festival are expected to go on sale around the 1st of April 2008.
[via Efestivals]
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I think it’s more that young people can’t afford Glastonbury, sell their tickets on eBay, don’t think ahead enough to book, go to other festivals (check out Leeds or Reading and you’ll find plenty of young people) and generally don’t go to Glastonbury for every reason other than “slow internet”..
Also Glastonbury takes place during school time and revision leave for people doing GCSEs / AS/A Levels..
The main reason does seem to be that the price is very high. I go to the DownLoad festival but it still tabs out at £200. The proportion of younger people is much higher though despite it being in term time.
Thinking about the Glasto set up though, having headliners such as Shirley Bassey and The Who, both fine acts but lets face it, they are going to attract the older generation. And Jeremy Clarkson.!