An independent music festival that attendees have called "game-changing" is struggling to stay afloat as Brits aren't buying tickets "until the last minute".
Warm Up Festival – a house and techno festival with rave reviews – may have to close up shop if more people don't buy passes ahead of time.
In its first year, Warm Up festival sold out of all its tickets, but the industry has taken a turn for the worse.
READ MORE: Inside nude holidays – from naked festivals and cruises to naturist resorts
Founders Amy Moffat and Aiden Doherty fear that independent events that rely on early ticket sales will crumble under the strain of Britain's financial downturn.
Aiden added: "Independent festivals need to be in the world. They're a vital part of culture and they should have the right to survive.
“It shouldn't just be in an industry where only the big powerful festivals survive because they're funded by capitalists and big corporate machines.
"Big headliners across the world – they all have to start somewhere. They all played an independent festival somewhere in their early career."
The festival – which is set to take place from August 17 to 20 2023 – is at risk of being shut down as Brits have changed their purchasing patterns.
Amy noted: “We've definitely noticed a big cultural shift since the pandemic whereby people don't tend to commit to events like not only the festival but club events.
“It's the same across the board with our peers as well. We've just noticed that people don't buy their tickets until the last minute.
“We can only run our operations based on ticket sales.”
Smaller and independent festivals need the revenue from ticket sales to pay their venders and organise bookings, acts and sites.
Without enough money up front the cost of running the event is simply unviable – and it may cause a loss of a number of smaller festivals in the coming year.
Warm up festival sold out of tickets in its first year, but in 2023 they need to sell at least 800 more tickets in the next week to throw their incredible event.
The festival cost £700,000 to throw last year up from £540,000 the year before and prices are only climbing in the cost-of-living crisis.
Aiden noted: “All of our suppliers increased their prices, but we couldn’t really increase ticket prices that much.
“The cost of living crisis came into play and then that's when our ticket sales started dropping off – people started really struggling.”
The music event takes place each summer over three days and includes "incredible up-and-coming" artists alongside fun daytime activities such as yoga, dance and craft classes.
Aiden noted: “I think we would encourage people to embrace the fact that they don't know some of the acts.
“Bringing incredible artists to our festival is our speciality.
“I put a lot of effort into hand picking the right artists and putting them in order so that people start the day as a certain kind of energy and sound.
“And as we progress into night, that energy rises and the more heavy acts come on. So each day is very much a journey in itself!”
At night, unique art installations light up the Hertfordshire forest to create a "magical" vibe.
'I made £200k on OnlyFans – now I'm travelling across Europe in a converted ambulance'
Amy explained: "We have lots of visual art pieces that are light pieces.
"So that as as sun sets and it becomes really dark in the forest that kind of takes on a new, a new shape and they light up the forest and make a new space."
Amy and Aiden have kept tickets affordable at £177.50 for three days – and you can pay in instalments each month up until the festival at warmupfestival.
If enough sales go through the pair have some interesting plans for upcoming years.
Aiden said: “We had lots of plans, including a hot tub village."
People who attended previous years were devastated to know that the event is at risk.
"Warm up festival is a game changer," commented festival-goer Adam Williams.
"I don't think there's any other festival where you can wake up, do some yoga, learn a Brazilian fighting dance, make a headdress, gaze at an art installation and then dance with your mates in the forest listening to amazing music.
"It's such a community, you get to know everyone around the site.
"One night you'll see a DJ on the main stage, the next day they'll be dancing next to you, it's really got that sense of love and community."
"It’s everything you hope for from a festival," added Hamza Sheikh. “It’s immaculately staged with a well-curated line-up that celebrates underground artists.
Aiden added: “This is a festival worth saving."
You can buy your tickets at www.warmupfestival.co.uk all in one or in instalments with the first payment from just £20.
READ NEXT:
Cost of half-term staycation soars by up to 50% in popular UK destinations
Inside the UK's most amazing holiday homes from castles to seaside cottages
London's 'most expensive' hotel with views of Buckingham Palace for £27k-a-night
Inside glam £1,000-a-night Sicily hotel where White Lotus season two was filmed
Source: Read Full Article