Home » Entertainment » Lowlands is tapping a ‘milestone’ of 300 euros per ticket with the upcoming edition

Lowlands is tapping a ‘milestone’ of 300 euros per ticket with the upcoming edition

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NOS News

Outrage among some Lowlands visitors today: the festival announced all kinds of details about the upcoming edition in August. And although the festival in Biddinghuizen is praised for bringing in big names such as Billie Eilish and Florence + The Machine, there is also criticism of the new ticket price. A three-day ticket for the entire festival costs 300 euros for the first time.

For two pandemic years, the popular Dutch festival in Flevoland could not continue. Another edition followed last summer: tickets went over the counter for the price of 245 euros. Then it was an increase of 35 euros compared to 2021. And with this year’s increase, another 45 euros will be added.

“It amounts to an extra 15 euros per day, which is a significant price increase,” admits Bente Bollmann, marketing manager at Mojo. According to him, more expensive ticket prices are inevitable this year because the costs for organizer Mojo have increased. And that while Lowlands director Eric van Eerdenburg already last year “the most expensive Lowlands ever” spoke.

The previous festival season was dominated by material shortages, because items such as toilets and tents were used both at GGD test locations and for the reception of refugees. It led to scarcity and thus to price increases. That problem is still present this year, says Bollmann.

In addition, inflation is also hitting hard this edition, according to Mojo. “We organize the festival, but we don’t own the materials ourselves. So we have to hire a lot and buy in at higher prices,” says Bollmann. He cites lighting equipment as an example. “And the energy costs are also through the roof for us.”

In addition, artist prices have also increased, according to Bollmann. “Worldwide, festivals are becoming more popular, so well-known artists are more in demand. They perform for the highest bidder”.

Not unique

Lowlands is not unique in terms of price increases: the prices of other festivals have also been rising steadily for years. For example, North Sea Jazz costs 300 euros for a weekend this year, compared to 250 euros last year. Festivals such as Pinkpop, Down The Rabbit Hole and Rock Werchter have also increased ticket prices in recent years. In addition, the prices of drinks and food have been rising for some time.

Organizer Mojo is therefore concerned that Lowlands will no longer be visited by people with a limited budget, such as students. The festival is very popular among that group. “That’s a real concern for us,” Bollmann admits.

But booking artists of less stature was never an option, according to Bollmann. “People really expect something from Lowlands, in terms of quality and names.” According to him, a popular name like Billie Eilish fits perfectly with the Lowlands picture. Bollmann: “But in my defense: if you were to book single tickets for the big names, you would have to spend more than 300 euros.”

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