OCTOBER | COVER FEATURE
festivals according to the risk of being
a victim of theft (in a 2017 report in The
Times). Download festival topped the list
for safety, with a mere 1 in 24,000 chance
of being stolen from. The rest of the list
sees V Festival far ing well at 1 in 10,000;
Boardmasters at 1 in 6,000; T in the Park at
1 in 3,400; Glastonbury at 1 in 2,872; Leeds
Festival at 1 in 1,818; Latitude at 1 in 1,750;
Parklife at 1 in 1,573 We Are Fstvl: 1 in 1,220
Secret Garden Party: 1 in 1,100 Reading
Festival: 1 in 880 The Great Escape: 1 in 830
Wilderness: 1 in 769 South West Four: 1 in
640 Wireless, 1 in 531.
The tappit report meanwhile, explored
other areas around consumer finances. It
found that 79% of festival goers say they have
a budget when attending a festival, meaning
food and drink, and additional purchases
are considered in advance. “24% of festival
goers rate carrying too much cash as the
worst thing about festivals. This is likely
impacted by the increased costs of using
ATMs at festivals, and concerns about theft
– all of which will affect spending limits.
Cashless gives customers the confidence to
spend safely. Separate studies have shown
that budgets set by event-goers are rarely
adhered to, when cashless is used, as the
system enables safe and easy spending.”
Security is also vital when making festival
purchases. “68% of festival goers consider
security to be the most important factor
when making purchases at a festival. This
means that, when going cashless, event
organisers need to make sure the system
they use provides reassurance that data and
account details are safe and secure,” Thomas
adds.
Meanwhile, 84% of respondents say the
worst thing about making a payment at a
festival is ‘standing in long queues’. Missing
key moments at a festival, or not having
the time to enjoy all the highlights leads to
negative experiences for festival goers.
“57% of festival goers consider expense
to be their main concern. This emphasis on
spending at a festival shows that festival
goers are considering what is in their wallets
more than which hygiene products to take
with them.”
An organiser’s perspective
The issue of queueing is just one facet of
the modern festival that the Fair CEO Nick
Morgan has seen raising audience stress
levels. “Audiences are more savvy than
ever before about their consumer rights
and about how festivals run operationally.
We are seeing a change in criticism and
comments on social media that now
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