Festivals aren’t just bigger, more frequent, and more popular than ever, they’re also more expensive. Research shows that youth spend over €150 per day, on top of the ticket price. Despite the high costs, festivals remain super popular, but where does all that money go?

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Festival spending among young people continues to rise

Festivals have been very popular among youth for years, but with their rising popularity, the price tag is also going up. Research by the Dutch Institute for Budget Information shows that visitors now spend more than €150 per day on transportation, lockers, food, drinks, merchandise, and tokens. This in addition to the ticket price, which is often between €60 and €120 per day.

For multi-day festivals, expenses can easily run up to between €500 and €900 per person. If you stay at the campsite or in a nearby hotel, the costs increase even further.

Despite the high costs, research shows that young people are absolutely unwilling to give up their festival visits. 63% say they would rather cut back spending on other things than miss a festival.

Where does the money go?

Drinks remain the most spent on item, with visitors spending an average of €70 to €90 per day on them. The price of tokens is also rising: whereas a beer cost €2.50 a few years ago, the can easily cost you between €4 and €6 now.

Food comes in second place. A snack or meal now costs an average of €10 to €16, which means you can easily spend €40 on food.

Young people also spend money on:

  • Transportation (between €10 and €40 per day)
  • Merchandise (€20 – €40 on average)
  • Extras such as lockers, earplugs, or cigarettes (€10 – €30)

However, many young people consciously choose to spend so much money on festivals: the atmosphere, music, freedom and the social aspect, are more important than the cost.

But… despite the high costs, festivals remain very popular

Although costs continue to rise, there has been very little impact on the popularity of festivals. Ticket sales for major festivals remain strong, and many events in 2025 were completely or nearly sold out.

Young people increasingly see festivals as something they want to invest in, an experience comparable to vacations or weekend trips.