Glastonbury Week: The Items Brits are prioritising spending on for 2019 music festivals

Since Wednesday 26^th June, thousands of Brits from across the UK have been descending down to Glastonbury for five days of music and fun. This year’s festival is sure to be mesmerising, with some stellar headliners, such as Stormzy and The Killers.

In general, the wider impact of music festivals on the economy cannot be underestimated. In fact, statistics by ‘Events Are Great Britain’, show that £1.3 billion is the astonishing sum spent directly by festivalgoers.

An online marketplace who are interested in consumer purchasing habits for music festivals, surveyed 1,428 Brits who would be attending one or more music festivals this summer, to discover the ‘big’ items they are most likely to prioritise buying and how much on average they are looking to spend per given product.

Unsurprisingly, On Buy found that a tent (76%) is the item most Brits are ranking top of their shopping list and £34.00 is the average amount they are willing to pay. Thereafter, 71% are going to purchase a sleeping bag and will fork out an average of £15.00 for it. A necessity for making it easier to walk in muddy conditions at outdoor music festivals, 66% will be getting waterproof shoes (e.g. wellies etc.) and on average splash out £21.00 on a decent pair.

Given the limited availability of power sources (e.g. plugs etc.) at music festivals, 62% are going to invest in a portable charger pack and aim to spend an average of £10.00 for the handy device.

Interestingly, 57% desire a portable Bluetooth speaker to enjoy their personal music loudly and expect to pay an average of £12.00 for one.

Contrastingly, just 24% of avid festival goers are buying a large cooler box to keep their food and drinks chilled – in doing so, predict to spend a hefty average of £29.00.  Slightly above, 30% want a sturdy folding chair.

Moreover, On Buy sought to identify the ‘smaller’ items Brits feel they will most likely forget to pack.

A torch (72%) is the item a lot of Brits will admittedly forget to take – very helpful when trying to navigate through a field which has little to no lighting. Subsequently, 64% are not going to remember to pack batteries.

In the event of an injury, 59% of respondents worryingly admit they are probably going to forget to take first aid fundamentals (e.g. plasters, bandages, antiseptic cream etc.). Embarrassingly, toilet paper/wet wipes will slip the mind of 38% of festivalgoers.

Opposingly, only 27% think they will end up overlooking snacks and sweets for the trip – a much cheaper alternative then always having to pay the extortionate prices that food stalls typically charge at music festivals. Marginally higher, 33% anticipate not remembering to take a pillow and blanket on their music festival ventures.

Sydney (23), a music festival enthusiastic said:

“Much like a holiday, the excitement of a music festival can sometimes overtake the urgency of being prepared and packing all the essentials. I am guilty of outfit planning for weeks on end, but only at the last minute remembering the extensive list of things needed to camp at a festival. Ranging from forgetting to pack my toothbrush to overlooking what I will be sleeping in.

A common theme when preparing for a festival seems to be the order of my priorities, with vital items such as first aid nearly always featuring at the bottom. What I have found most useful is changing the approach to packing. Creating a list of all the items you use at home on a normal day, which in turn highlights several items that are so easy to forget”.  

Cas Paton, the Managing Director commented:

“For many, music festivals are the pinnacle of their summer. An opportunity to have a fun adventure with friends and watch some amazing musicians perform in a lively environment. In all the excitement and anticipation, it can be easy for festivalgoers to overlook packing essential items. This research certainly showcases what Brits think these items to be, with some very surprising findings. Likewise, it provides an insight into the items Brits most intend to buy and what prices they are willing to pay for them – with camping gear and small electronics seemingly a very high priority for attendees this year”.

For more information on the survey please see On Buys website