Report: International festival experiences growing in popularity

Online festival booking platform Festicket has released the details of a report that shows more and more UK festivalgoers making the trip abroad for their experiences in 2018.

According to the data, collected from Festicket’s 2.5 million users, the number of fans going abroad for their festival experiences this season rose by 29%. Hungary saw the biggest rise in popularity, with a 773% growth in visitors. Among Hungary’s biggest attractions is Sziget Festival, which this year welcomed 565,000 visitors across its week-long programme. Following behind Hungary were Spain, Portugal and Belgium, which all saw a surge in popularity across the season, with visitor numbers rising 132%, 127% and 120% respectively.

“The industry is now catering to a real variety of different travellers”

Also revealed in the report was the changing preferences of festivalgoers in regards to accommodation. Whilst 43% of festivalgoers remain loyal to the traditional tent, there is an increasing tendency towards hotels (31%) and apartments (16%). This is reflective of the wider trend of festivalgoers spending more money on their experiences than in previous years, with the average in 2018 being €167 per trip.

Commenting on the results, Zack Sabban, CEO and co-founder of Festicket, says, “We’re thrilled to see our customers become more adventurous: they are clearly happy to bounce across the continent to see their favourite artists live.

“The industry is now catering to a real variety of different travellers.”

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