How To Nail Festival Season On A Budget.
After blowing all your money on tickets, here’s how you can still show up at events with money in your pockets.
There are two types of people in this world. Those that buy tickets to festivals well before and those that wait until the very last minute. Irrespective of which category you fall in, you’ll more than likely be strapped for cash when festival season rolls around.
People like to think they’re diligent with their money but it just isn’t true. Too often, I hear cries of dismay from those who’ve realised they have next to no money, right before trotting off for a weekend of dance.
Let’s see about trying to fix this!
Book Your Flight Nice & Early
Dropping 160 euros on a flight to the Albanian Riviera 4 months before you’re set to jet off might seem a little premature. However, talking from personal experience, booking a plane ticket months before is always going to save you a lot. Best start @ Skyscanner.
Friends of mine, attending this very same festival booked only a fortnight ago and are now paying upwards of 220 euro for the same journey. What’s more, due to the remote location we’re off to, some even have to endure layovers in other countries on their way there. Every day you umm and ahh about whether to book your trip, it gets more expensive. Don’t dawdle. Lock it in.
Scoring Tickets Last Minute (On TicketSwap)
I know I was just preaching the whole ‘first in best dressed’ thing but if you aren’t one of those people who’ll buy an early bird ticket, why not wait until the very last minute and score a bargain on TicketSwap. Take advantage of people desperately trying to sell their tickets right before the events about to kick off. Everyone wants to walk away with something rather than nothing and this falls right in your favour!
Start A Festival Piggy Bank
This might seem like a childish suggestion, but for centuries it’s been a go-to for anyone, trying to save money for anything. The trusty piggy bank. If you’re saving money for a festival, in particular, I’d suggest only tossing notes in. Nobody wants to be lugging coins around while partying.
Sign Up As A Volunteer
Not only is this a great way of getting a free pass to a festival, it’s also a rewarding and social experience. You’ll more than likely come away with a bunch of new skills you never knew you had, new friends and a sense of pride knowing you contributed to a beautiful shared endeavour.
Upon arriving in Amsterdam, I spent 2 days helping paint stages, cut wood and nail gun signage before the launch of Zeezout Festival. In the blink of an eye, I was next backstage drinking free beer, rubbing shoulders with international DJ’s while Motor City Drum Ensemble played the closing set to some 5,000 people. Volunteering at festivals can and will put you in these special situations.
Buying Your Ticket A Year Ahead
Humans are creatures of habit. Once we know we like something, there’s a high chance we’ll go back and do it again…and again…and again.
These days, a lot of the larger festivals such as Hellfest, BBK and Glastonbury are giving loyalists the opportunity to buy tickets to next years festival whilst partying at the current edition. Some people may think it ludicrous to book that far in advance, however, if you’re buying 12 months ahead you’re always making a drastic saving (usually somewhere between 20–30%). And you know what!? If you don’t end up going the very next year, you can sell your ticket through us. Problem solved.
Become A Freelancer
Can you string a few decent sentences together? Can you take a handful of great photographs? If you answered yes to at least one of these, you could be a freelance journalist/photographer in the making.
This is often overlooked as a way of getting into festivals free of charge. As long as you’re passionate and dedicated enough to spend some of your day taking notes and capturing some nice moments, you could easily approach a music magazine and offer up your services. Editorials are always looking for budding creatives to represent them at the world’s best festivals. You may even end up with an access-all-areas lanyard or even a paid nights stay in a hotel. Now that’s definitely worth a little bit of creative flair!
