Thursday, July 12, 2007

Eavis hits the phones to bring back the old Glastonbury

Michael Eavis has admitted that Glastonbury is middle-aged, middle-class and 'respectable' (although we're sure he's said the same thing before) and has announced plans to do something about it:

"We're trying to get the youngsters because numbers were down this year," Mr Eavis said. "People say we're getting middle class, but we're attracting more people in their thirties and forties and need the Radio 1 and NME crowds.

"These kids add so much to the flavour of it. The people who now come have the right attitude, they grin and bear the mud, but they do change the nature of the show."

So, what's the big idea?

They're going to sell 40% of the tickets via phones next year:
Mr Eavis said this year's internet-only sales policy favoured people with fast internet connections. "Next year kids will be able to use their mobile phones to get tickets," he said.

Because, of course, people in their teens wouldn't have access to broadband, would they?

Let's set aside for a moment the question of how phone sales will sit alongside the pre-registration rigmarole, and just wonder if the important part of the ticket process which might put off the younger, less respectable end of the market is not how they're sold, but how much they're sold for.


3 comments:

M.C. Glammer said...

I don't suppose a headline act with an average age of less than 200 would make a difference.

Roo said...

the age of the festival punter seems to have dropped since the super fence went up, most of the younger edge of the festival in the past got in over the fence but now this isn't possible. It's not how the tickets are sold that prevents a younger audience, it's how much they are sold for!

eyetie said...

Alternatively, they could start the registration process at a time when the kids (and not just their parents and the touts) will be awake. Somewhere around 3pm should do it.

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