Were numbers down this year?

[jackdog]

Had a fantastic WOMAD managed to secure our usual spot down in the meadow campervan site. However it really felt less busy as previous years, there were less loos, less queues for food and less people, generally quieter. Discuss😁

[digitalmonkey]

Yep, I gave it a miss this year.First one I've missed since 2012

[jax2000]

Yes, we got that impression as well. It usually feels as if it is heaving on a Saturday and Sunday.
I think the fact they offered Friday day tickets might be a hint that numbers were down as well. 😕

[standing stone]

It felt good; not crowded; free flowing at the arena entry points, plenty of space navigating around the arena - spot on. I think there's room for Digital Monkey to join us next year without making it feel crowded!


It would be sad to learn that numbers were down - I want Womad to keep going - it will only do that if we keep going....

[olirow]

I think perhaps fewer day trippers on the Saturday and Sunday due to the weather. Thursday seemed busier than ever to me.

[hotdrummer]

I also wondered if numbers were down. The programming these days seems to have steered away from rock gods and main stream pop acts which suits me well. Over the years we have seen many mainstream sort of acts such as Squeeze and maybe such acts attract crowds. People asked me this year who was playing and I would say’theivery corporation or Amadou and Mariam ‘ but most people have only heard of that red headed guy whose name escapes me or Coldplay. I loved the music this year as every year. The limiting factor for me will become standing nay dancing in a crowd for hours on end. Same again next year please (no to screens too)

[Deleted]

There are Youtube Aerial drone shots of all 4 Days from a company called Abbey

You can see gaps between all the tents.

[calndel]

we felt it was less busy this year, hot and wet weather may have affected the number as well as bad weather over the last few years too

loads of gaps between the tents this year was another sign of smaller numbers

[digitalmonkey]

Aug 6, 2018 7:02:14 GMT hotdrummer said:

I also wondered if numbers were down. The programming these days seems to have steered away from rock gods and main stream pop acts which suits me well. Over the years we have seen many mainstream sort of acts such as Squeeze and maybe such acts attract crowds. People asked me this year who was playing and I would say’theivery corporation or Amadou and Mariam ‘ but most people have only heard of that red headed guy whose name escapes me or Coldplay. I loved the music this year as every year. The limiting factor for me will become standing nay dancing in a crowd for hours on end. Same again next year please (no to screens too)

Ken Boothe?

[deserttraveller]

Yes, I think they were, it was just a feeling I get when I look to the west.
It is the weekend around the blood moon, does that make it more likely to rain? it must have a reputation by now as a wet festival- like glasto does.
Did you see long Qs at the most popular food stalls- we did'nt, the bump from £8.50 last year to £10 was noticeable.

A lot of people like me have not had a pay rise in 10 years, it is beginning to hit, folks just cant afford it any more, a family can spend a shedload. A day ticket to a more local festival, Purbeck folk, Wickham festival etc. looks a better option. But, Purbeck has not sold out this year despite having Beth Orton as a headliner on the Sunday.
Womad has to keep a profit or it future is short, so 99 sets to see this year. If 1 or 2 are more mainstream to bring in day ticket holders & ££ that's fine by me.

[sc]

I think it was beyond question quieter this year. Reason? People are nervous, people don’t have cash to splash, too many festivals. Perhaps there will be a shake down over the next 2 or 3 years and many festivals go to the wall. Look what’s happened with shopping in the High Street, same is happening to festivals, Womad has massive status but it could still feel the effects of the change, the market is too crowded, customers are spread too thin. If you think of customer behaviour why would a customer be loyal to a festival? It is an unlikely thing, people are loyal to their Bank, their political party, their Country, their family, but not usually loyal to a particular theatre or holiday resort. Festivals could be considered a combination of Theatre and Holiday and I have yet to meet someonen who says “I love the theatre, but I would only go to the Marlowe Theatre or I always holiday in Padstow”. And so with a lot of competition, not a lot of cash and no reason for loyalty, it will be a tough few years until things are in balance. Something I have noticed and certainly in the south is that pretty much every town now has at least one festival a year. To be honest Mrs SC and I are thinking of trying somewhere else next year, others may have had the same feelings over the last few years and are simply wanting a bit of a change. If it wasn’t for the wonderful folk on this forum we would probably started trying other festivals a few years ago 😀

[mikey]

Perhaps most people are shallow and only go for festivals with big headline acts.
Also, it is expensive for people on limited budgets and if a family group then could be really pricey weekend. I thought the food looked expensive for what was provided, although like CnD did not buy much food as the weather was too hot. Did buy two lots of chips and regretted afterwards, first lot were hard dry and largely inedible the second were nicer but minuscule. Both were around the £4 mark. Also had a portion of goat curry, cost £9 but consisted of mostly rice and bones.
Anyway, I am off to Green Man festival in a couple of weeks, they have agreed a reasonable pricing plan with all the traders so should be more affordable and I will update you on what it it is like.
Guess it might be the difference between a smaller festival that sells out, so can be more demanding on caterers wanting to trade and a large festival that has dwindling numbers attending.

[sc]

Aug 7, 2018 6:39:29 GMT mikey said:

Perhaps most people are shallow and only go for festivals with big headline acts.
“I don’t think that applies to a typical Womad customer “ 😀😀😀😀

[watergirl]

Aug 6, 2018 22:42:45 GMT deserttraveller said:

A lot of people like me have not had a pay rise in 10 years, it is beginning to hit, folks just cant afford it any more.

I am in the same boat regarding (lack of!) payrise.  I simply can't afford the food from the stalls.  The way around that is to bring your own though.
I come by public transport, so after setting up on Thursday I walk to Malmesbury and go to the supermarket. It takes a bit of organization but I don't mind.

[deserttraveller]

Aug 7, 2018 14:43:20 GMT watergirl said:

Aug 6, 2018 22:42:45 GMT deserttraveller said:

A lot of people like me have not had a pay rise in 10 years, it is beginning to hit, folks just cant afford it any more.

I am in the same boat regarding (lack of!) payrise.  I simply can't afford the food from the stalls.  The way around that is to bring your own though.
I come by public transport, so after setting up on Thursday I walk to Malmesbury and go to the supermarket. It takes a bit of organization but I don't mind.

My Womad partner , who is not on here, turned up with £24, yea really! So we ate at the tent Friday, one stall - tibet Kitchen - Saturday and from a Supermarket in Malmesbury on  Sunday as we had to leave the site to get the car fixed. Spent the rest of the money on tea in the Tiny Tea tent and I did have a a couple of beers and Rachel had orange juices from the bar. so my spend was more than £24.
I did nt mind because £10 for bucket cooking is too much,

Yes,  I normally like to go to the town on Saturday morning for supplies, but didn't this year as the car had broken down and the stewards didn't want anyone to leave meadow park and camp.