At a major American music festival, 60% of attendees paid for their tickets this year using installment plans, such as those offered by Klarna. That’s according to data from the involved payment platforms. It concerns thousands of festivalgoers who spread out their payments over several months—often interest-free, but not without the risk of mounting debt.
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Klarna is a Swedish payment service that allows consumers to make purchases immediately but pay later or in installments. For festivals, this means that a ticket costing several hundred euros can be paid in three parts or over several months. There’s usually no interest, but users must pay on time to avoid additional fees.
Music experience or debt trap?
The growing popularity of these payment methods in the festival world comes as no surprise, given the rising ticket prices. A weekend at a hardstyle festival now easily costs between €150 and €330—excluding travel, accommodation, and extras. The option to pay in installments makes participation more accessible to a wider audience. At the same time, financial experts warn of the risks involved in taking on debt for an experience.
Dutch festivals join the trend
The trend isn’t limited to the U.S. In the Netherlands, payment platforms are now widely used as well—especially within the hardstyle scene. Several multi-day festivals now offer Klarna as a payment option through their official ticket sales. This means more Dutch festivalgoers are choosing to spread out payments to attend their favorite events.
Imagine buying a weekend ticket and opting for Klarna’s 18-month plan. By the time you make your final payment, ticket sales for the next edition may have already started; meaning you could be paying for two festivals at once. The experience isn’t just stretched over the weekend anymore, but over your bank account as well. What began as a moment of joy can quietly turn into a long-term financial obligation.
