Are you planning to attend festivals this summer? Maybe you have already been to the first parties. Nowadays, you have to spend a lot of money for tickets, food, and drinks. But why are festivals so expensive?
If you are a frequent festival-goer, you may have noticed that prices have risen significantly in recent years. Festival tickets have increased in price and a pancake, fries, or beer now cost a lot more.
Costs passed on to festival-goers twice
According to the AD, the festival organizer determines the price of the tokens. A spokesperson for the Pinkpop festival explains that the token price depends on three factors. Firstly, the basic costs, such as fixed costs from construction to personnel costs. It also takes into account how much time, energy, and money a product costs. Additionally, it matters whether the caterer can store the products after a festival or has to throw them away.
At many festivals, you will find caterers and food trucks. They pay rent to the festival organizer, which increases as festival costs rise. The caterers pass on the increased rent to their prices and also see their own costs rise. “In this way, it is actually passed on to the festival-goers twice. The more links, the more costs,” says Dirk Mulder, food sector specialist at ING.
Prices in the hospitality sector are rising, so are food and drinks at festivals
André Malotaux, a caterer for many festivals, explains that these price increases apply to the entire hospitality sector. Higher staff costs, rent, energy prices, and inflation are driving up those hospitality prices. This also applies to the hospitality sector at festivals.
A spokesperson for the Royal Dutch Hotel and Catering Association (KHN) also emphasizes that the set-up and dismantling at festivals ‘cost money’. “It is built up once for a few days, and the investment must be recouped during those days.”
In other words, the set-up and dismantling, rising costs, and the intermediary all contribute to the fact that a bag of fries or a spring roll costs more. And yes, it is indeed the festival-goer who has to pay that money.