Festivalgoers are also advised to take along some extra pocket money, as on-site food and drinks are set to cost more this year.
Recent months have seen an uptick in consumer prices and festival tickets are no exception.
Three-day tickets for many of Finland’s most popular festivals have soared to above 200 euros this summer.
Artists’ gig fees have also risen significantly, according to festival organisers.
“All we own is computers and phones. We buy every single piece of fencing, tents and sound systems from subcontractors, so the increase in prices is reflected on us too,” Ilosaarirock’s Executive Director Niina Hattunen told Yle.
Yle compared the prices of the most popular festivals of the summer to last year.
The biggest uptick was observed in the ticket prices of Provinssi, a rock and pop festival that takes place at the last weekend of June in Seinäjoki, western Finland. Provinssi festivalgoers are asked to pay 209 euros to attend all three days this year when last year the same experience cost them 169 euros. This represents a price increase of 24 percent.
The prices present on the graph were retrieved online on Tuesday 6 June.
The early bird catches the worm
Prices tend to rise gradually as demand increases closer to the festival date. Tickets bought in advance online are usually significantly cheaper than when bought at the gates on the day.
The cheapest tickets are available far in advance at a lower early-bird prices.
“The lowest price we’ve sold our three-day ticket for this year is 139 euros,” says Marko Kivelä, Provinssi’s managing director.
One way to keep prices from inflating too much is through company partnerships, according to the CEO of Flow Festival.
“We try to keep the prices affordable and do not want to raise them disproportionately. Of course, we also try to get income from elsewhere, for example through business cooperation,” said Suvi Kallio, director of the Helsinki festival.
It is also worth noting that it is not just the price of tickets that inflation has affected this year.
Festival attendants should also pack some extra pocket money this time round, as inflation has further hit the price of food, drinks, and other products inside festival areas.
VIP tickets becoming popular
At the same time, festival organisers have also noticed an increase in the popularity of VIP tickets.
Ilosaarirock used to primarily sell VIP tickets to businesses, but soaring demand spurred them to open sales to ordinary customers too.
Rockfest, which took place in Hyvinkää last weekend, completely sold out their VIP packages.
“There is a demand for VIP packages. I would say it certainly reflects people’s desire for convenience. They want to have the full experience,” Krista Heinonen, Event Director of Nelonen Media Live, the organiser of Rockfest, told Yle.
VIP benefits typically include good visibility to the main stage with some sort of shade, access to a fast-track lane past the queues, or buffet food and a wider selection of drinks in a designated serving area.
“Some people specifically want to go to the VIP area to eat and drink well, while others want to go to a campsite for three days to party. We want to serve all kinds of customers,” Provinssi’s Kivelä said.
Source: Yle News
