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Business Daily

Making money out of music festivals

Business Daily

BBC

Business

4.4816 Ratings

🗓️ 28 June 2019

⏱️ 17 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

It's not as easy as it looks. Dominic O'Connell reports from the biggest festival in the world Glastonbury, which kicks off this weekend. Manuela Saragosa hears from music industry analyst Chris Cooke on the growth in the industry over the last decade, and from Paul Reed, CEO of the UK's Association of Independent Festivals, about the challenges of putting on your own event.

(Photo: Glastonbury Festival in 2017, Credit: Getty Images)

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hello, I'm Manuela Saragossa. Welcome to Business Daily from the BBC. Coming up, the UK's biggest music festival, Glastonbury, kicks off today. But how does the musical festival business even work?

0:14.2

It only takes one wash-out year, and that can send you out of business. The elements are so unpredictable and so we're at the

0:21.3

mercy of the elements. And if the weather doesn't get to you, then the clean-up afterwards might.

0:27.4

It's estimated that there are 250,000 tents abandoned at UK festivals each year. In most cases,

0:34.0

they're going straight to landfill. The often messy and definitely risky business

0:39.0

of music festivals coming up here in Business Daily from the BBC.

0:46.0

Two million people registered to buy a ticket to Glastonbury this year, but only 200,000 can

0:53.1

attend. Demand was so high that tickets sold out in just over half an hour,

0:57.8

with each costing a not insubstantial $300.

1:02.2

But then, Glastonbury is the highlight of Europe's Music Festival calendar,

1:06.0

and this year is hosting some big names.

1:08.6

This weekend, the biggest festival in the world is facts.

1:11.7

How you doing, Glastonbury?

1:12.7

BBC music at Glastonbury.

1:15.1

We'll get you in.

1:16.1

Glastonbury!

1:17.7

We're ready!

1:19.3

For the cure.

1:20.3

The Chemical Brothers.

1:21.3

Lauren Hill.

1:22.1

Vampire Weekend.

1:23.2

Lizzle.

...

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