Festivals bucking the trend?

Jeden

From somone who first went to a festival in The Trip to Tipp in 1995 I find myself wondering are festivals in Ireland flourishing the past 10 years or so?

I don't know if it was because I wasn't as aware but there seems to loads of festivals to choose from these days. As somebody north of 30, I do like the Forbidden Fruit setup where you can get a taxi down, large it up and then duck for cover back to your bed without the need for camping. Great craic and that camping, but I like my comforts this weather!

Anyway, just wondering aloud if ther really are way more festivals - of all kinds - these days or if I just didn't noticed as much in my early twenties...

Toast

There is a bunch of historical reasons for it. Very quickly the increase in interest started in the mid to late 90s with increased TV coverage of Glastonbury. On top of that Camping gear got a lot cheaper and easier to use, facilities at festivals improved and disposable income went up too. Finally the rise of the internet and mobile phones helped too.

Once festivals stopped being considered mudfests only visited by hippies and teenagers and the botique festival was born a whole load of options did popup. Thing is I reckon things will decline a bit now with recessions and the like. Plenty of mini festivals fail every year. I reckon it won't go back to the 90's situation of one festival but I reckon we've seen the heyday.

paddylonglegs

Internet piracy also. Bands are forced to tour more because they make very little on their cd/mp3 sales. Sales of gig tickets and merch is a big attraction

gaius c

paddylonglegs wrote: »

Internet piracy also. Bands are forced to tour more because they make very little on their cd/mp3 sales. Sales of gig tickets and merch is a big attraction

Do you work for IMRO paddy?

TheBigLebowski

Jeden wrote: »

From somone who first went to a festival in The Trip to Tipp in 1995 I find myself wondering are festivals in Ireland flourishing the past 10 years or so?

I don't know if it was because I wasn't as aware but there seems to loads of festivals to choose from these days. As somebody north of 30, I do like the Forbidden Fruit setup where you can get a taxi down, large it up and then duck for cover back to your bed without the need for camping. Great craic and that camping, but I like my comforts this weather!

Anyway, just wondering aloud if ther really are way more festivals - of all kinds - these days or if I just didn't noticed as much in my early twenties...

I'd say it only seems like more because in 1995 when the rest of us were at Feile in CORK, you were on your own in Tipp

paddylonglegs

gaius c wrote: »

Do you work for IMRO paddy?

um,no. shouldn't your jokey comment be finished off with a shmiley face gaius c?

bodhrandude

Yeh Irelands had loads of festivals, Lisdoonvarna in Clare had a mixture of trad and rock artists, Fleadh Mor in Tramore, Waterford try to continue this style in 1994. Apart from large folk music events it wasnt till the late 1990s with Homelands that dance festivals were took seriously here. Then Creamfields, Witness, Oxegen, EP, Life festival, Body and Soul and loads of others out there.