A recent study by the global ticketing and event platform Eventbrite examines the German festival landscape and the changing needs of festival-goers. A key finding of the cross-sectional survey is that German visitors would like to see more environmentally friendly and sustainable festivals.
Visitors demand added value for high ticket prices
With the help of online field service provider GapFish, Eventbrite interviewed 1,000 people who have visited a festival in the past twelve months. The gross sample was structurally adapted to the distribution of age (16-69 years) and gender in Germany. The results of the survey are primarily intended to give organisers an idea of how they can adapt their offerings to visitors’ changing expectations. Although, according to the study, about one in four people consider the prices of festival tickets to be too high, a large proportion would be equally prepared to spend more money if the events were more in line with their desires.
Sustainability and healthy food
More than three-quarters (75.5 percent) of respondents would like more sustainable approaches and attach importance to recycling, plastic avoidance, or water dispensers. In addition, more than half (57.3 percent) of visitors advocate healthy and varied eating and drinking. Vegan dishes are important to a quarter (25.3 percent) of visitors.
Visitors want family attractions and a more intimate atmosphere
Other results of the study show that there is also a high demand for family-friendly activities, and that many people prefer more compact festivals. “Small festivals are becoming more important because they can be much more targeted to individual preferences,” explains festival consultant Robert Stolt. “We have noticed that successful festivals are more geared to the very specific needs of their visitors. This begins with topics such as sustainability through eco-toilets or renewable energies, for example, and the integration of social projects. Young families and an older target group also gain interest in festivals through new overnight accommodations such as lodges or VIP tents.”
Ole Feltes, responsible for Strategic Account Management at Eventbrite, explains why these observations can contribute to progressive developments for future festivals in Germany: “For our partners in the music industry – independent, innovative organisers – the 2019 festival trends are excellent news. Smaller events can respond faster and with less effort to such changes in the preferences of their visitors and adapt and focus their festivals accordingly, which helps to occupy attractive niches.”
Eventbrite is a global ticketing and event technology platform founded in 2006 by Julia Hartz, Kevin Hartz and Renaud Visage. The company employs over 1,000 people worldwide in 14 offices, responsible for the planning, promotion and production of events of all types and sizes. The platform can be accessed online or via mobile apps. Functions range from registration and ticketing to comprehensive event management. Eventbrite’s customers include the e-commerce trade fair Internet World, the technology conference Bits&Pretzels, the IKARUS Festival, and the XLETIX obstacle courses.
