Music festivals are not worth your time and money – UConn Daily Campus

As a hardcore introvert, it might be obvious for me to say that music festivals are not worth your time and money. Actually, anywhere that has more people than there should be and music that is vibrating your rib cage and internal organs is possibly the least ideal place for us introverts to be. However, whether you are introverted or not, I think we can all agree that most music festivals in the United States are not worth it for many reasons. 
We all know that the tickets are expensive, yet, we think it’s worth it. After all, we get to see multiple artists in one setting. However, you have to understand how expensive everything else is too. From transportation to food, the cost of the whole day is insanely overpriced. According to research, the average cost of the tickets are already $200 to $600 . Also, according to statistics taken in 2017, the average spendings for one person attending an American music festival is around $693, making it the most expensive compared to other countries. Since these statistics are from eight years ago, the cost has increased steeply since then. We also have to talk about additional expenses aside from the tickets. Transportation is hard in this country in the first place, but parking is even harder. In most cases, the parking is either expensive, far away from the festival itself or it can be both. It is understandable that because of safety issues, it is hard to manage those places and security must be enforced in highly crowded areas. Nevertheless, it is still energy-draining having to walk miles to and from the parking lot.  
What’s more surprising is the cost of food and beverages in those festivals. Many people have complained about how a simple sandwich can cost $17 when it is usually $6 to $7 and in a much bigger portion. Some festivals don’t even allow outside food, which causes people to sneak in food and sometimes alcohol. Although we cannot blame the vendors because guess what? The vendors don’t get to keep all the profit they make at the festival. The event organizers can take up to 30% of the sales that day. Furthermore, there are additional cautions to follow and extra equipment needed for that day. Without the ridiculous, sky-high prices and the measly portions, it is impossible to keep a business running. For this problem, I blame those who are in charge, but again, this article isn’t about how much the event organizers and artists benefit or are disadvantaged from the whole event. Anyways, if you include travel expenses and accommodation fees during the highly demanded festival days, it is hard to imagine how much your whole trip may cost.  
Don’t forget how poor the management can be. Recently, a popular EDM music festival, Electric Zoo, was charged with lawsuits due to poor management. According to sources from social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, many had to wait for five hours to get their tickets and wristbands since the organization did not distrubute them ahead of time, and only got to enjoy 30 minutes of the festival. Additionally, they were extremely short staffed, with some screens not working and sound issues. Despite the upbeat music, these problems broke many people’s high expectations for the festival. Many have expressed how they do not want to attend this certain festival again next year.  
Again, I would not take the risk of facing those problems and spending hundreds of dollars for  overhyped events. Music festivals can be a great way to socialize with friends and family and enjoy the bright, colorful atmosphere. However, I strongly believe that there are many places that are less crowded, better managed and with good music too– and I’m not saying that place is your own room.  
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