Why more people than ever are watching festivals on TV

Crowds enjoy the sunshine at Glastonbury Festival. Image: LaineN / Shutterstock.com
Crowds enjoy the sunshine at Glastonbury Festival. Image: LaineN / Shutterstock.com
Electronic retailer AO.com recently did a study which showed that 2/3 of the British public prefer to watch festivals on TV than attend them in person.

Although Glastonbury is an almost iconic event, and the Reading and Leeds Carling weekend draws people out in their thousands, a lot of us are quite happy to put our feet up, open a bottle of beer, and watch the music on the big screen.

But why is this?  And if you’re one of the people watching a festival from home, how can you make it more entertaining?

The Main Annoyances
When asked why they prefer to watch festivals on TV, the most common festival annoyances included:

  • The price of the festival tickets
  • The price of refreshments
  • The disgusting state of the festival toilets (these have to be seen to be believed!)
  • The poor and unreliable British weather
  • Drunken crowds
  • Long queues

On top of this, many people also found they needed to take a day off work just to get the tickets in the first place.  This is definitely a more common problem for festivals like Glastonbury where tickets can, and do, sell out in minutes, despite there always being plenty available for the celebrities who wish to attend.

Watching on TV
So, if you can’t cope with all those annoyances listed above, and you would rather play online bingo than work out how you’re going to fit all of your festival gear into a small rucksack, watching a festival at home may be a much better idea.

And, although you won’t get to experience the atmosphere at the festival, you probably will get a much better view of the performing acts without the risk of being rained on.

The BBC heavily publicises the Glastonbury festival each year, and the Carling Weekend festival is also usually on TV on one of the lesser known channels.  For other festivals, YouTube is a good location to find recordings of your favourite bands.

You Can Make It More Fun
If you still want to enjoy a bit of atmosphere whilst watching your favourite bands perform live, albeit on TV, why not consider hosting a festival watching party at home?

Invite your friends round, chill some beers, and watch the music on the big screen.  And, if you can find a way to view entertainment outside (a projector is a good option), you could also get a bit more into the festival spirit.

All you need is a barbeque, some rugs or deck chairs, and each other’s company.  You could even purchase some themed décor if you really wanted to get in the mood.

Festivals have always been about more than the music – enjoying the company of your friends, relaxing with a cold drink, and enjoying the weather being three of them.

And, if you don’t mind not seeing the bands you like performing live in-person, watching a festival on TV may be a much better option.  It’s definitely more comfortable!

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