Festivals on the instalment plan

James P emails, bringing news of plans by US festivals to allow tickets to be bought on HP terms:

The $120 (£82) cost of Langerado, which takes place in Miami in March, can be paid over three months. The festival features artists such as Death Cab For Cutie, The Pogues, Snoop Dogg and Ryan Adams and the Cardinals.

The lineup for Bonnaroo, from June 11-14, is yet to be announced. Special pre-sale tickets are being offered until December 31 and include five instalments of $50 (£33).

James sees Carol Vorderman's First Plussed hands in this, and wonders if there's going to be other options:

The Langerado line-up currently includes Ryan Adams, Death Cab for Cutie and Snoop Dogg. Oasis haven't been approached yet, although if they are, the beer tent will presumably offer the audience the opportunity to consolidate all their urinations into one managable bottle.

Still, it's nice to see festival organisers at least realise that they've reached a point where their entry fees have got completely out of line with what the audience can afford - although if you're flogging something expensive, putting up "Interest Free Credit" signs all over the place hardly reduces the sense that you're looking for someone to make a hefty investment in something. They might have tried, perhaps, reducing the prices a little first?