Sex, drugs... and not much rock 'n' roll: How music fans who go to festivals prefer getting drunk and sleeping with strangers to listening to the bands
- Only 45% attend festivals such as Glastonbury or Reading for the music
- A quarter have slept with a stranger, 21% took drugs, and 13% got in a fight
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER PUBLISHED: 01:26 GMT, 11 June 2013 | UPDATED: 06:47 GMT, 11 June 2013
For those of us who would never dream of going to music festivals, the attraction of dodgy sound systems and fields turned into m&d baths has always been a bit of a mystery. No more. The secret behind the success of many summer festivals is that they’re not really about music. Fans are now more likely to go to a festival to take drugs, get drunk or sleep with a stranger than actually listen to the music, a study found. A quarter say they have slept with a stranger, 21 per cent taken drugs, and 13 per cent got into a fight.
Survey: Only 45% of those who attend festivals such as Glastonbury, pictured, actually go for the music
And the misbehaviour crosses the generations. Among middle-aged (45 to 54) fans, nine per cent admit experimenting with illegal drugs at a festival, a fifth drink to excess, 10 per cent have slept with a stranger, and two per cent got into a fight, according to the study by MSN.co.uk. Others even admit burning tents. Brits will spend an average of £423.01 at UK festivals this year, making them too expensive for 60 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds.
However, despite The Rolling Stones headlining Glastonbury and The Stone Roses the Isle of Wight Festival, just 45 per cent actually go for the music. The others are lured by the atmosphere, the chance to socialise with friends, and to 'escape from everyday life'. In total, 47 per cent have done things at a festival they would 'never consider doing outside of the music festival environment', the study found. For those aged 35 to 44, the figure is 50 per cent. Festivals expert George McKay, Professor of Cultural Studies at Salford University, said it was 'human nature' to let your inhibitions go at a festival. He said: 'Festivals are deeply rooted in the carnival tradition, which is to invert everyday expectations of normal behaviour.
Different reasons: Other festival-goers say they go to events like Glastonbury, pictured from the Stone Circle area of the festival site on Worthy Farm, Pilton, to 'escape from everyday life'
'Historically, carnivals would have a ‘lord of misrule’ who oversaw the revelries and subversion of the ordinary rules of life.'For example, at the medieval Christian Feast of Fools, a ‘Boy Bishop’ would lead a temporary revolution interlaced with hedonistic partying. 'This carnival attitude can be seen in the earliest popular music festivals in Britain, such as the Beaulieu Jazz Festival in 1960. That ended up in a riot between modern and trad jazz fans. 'The Stonehenge Free Festivals of the 1980s also degenerated into trouble.
'The MSN research shows that misbehaving modern festival goers are simply upholding this ancient tradition.' Professor McKay added: 'The pop festival has been around for more than half a century. That means there are now several generations of keen festival-goers. 'Remember that venerable hippie slogan from the 1970s: "You’re never too old for a happy childhood"? 'Music festivals continue to be places where we can escape reality and subvert the rules - whatever age we happen to be.'
Typical British weather: One in eight festival-goers say they are staying away from events held in fields this year because of fears it will ran the entire time
While escaping reality for a few days can be fun, it can also have its irritations. The biggest gripe is that portaloos are not cleaned often enough, with 43 per cent infuriated by this, the poll of 2,000 festival-goers found.
Almost one in five (17 per cent) are irked by the high price of food and drink, and 16 per cent say they have to queue too long to buy it. A similar number (17 per cent) get frustrated at not being able to charge their mobile phone or get a signal.
One in eight festival fans say they are staying away from the fields this year because of fears over the weather. And of those that are going, a pair of wellies tops their list of essential items, followed by wet wipes, fancy dress and clean underwear.
Office worker Ryan Davies, from Manchester, said the 'free-spirit' nature of festivals make them the perfect place to forget about the stresses of work.
The 41-year-old said: 'Festivals are the perfect place to let your hair down without anyone judging you. I have a responsible my day job, so usually moderation and professionalism are key.
'Once I have pitched my tent I can really relax, let off a bit of steam and share the love. The good music is a bonus.'
Survey: Only 45% of those who attend festivals such as Glastonbury, pictured, actually go for the music
And the misbehaviour crosses the generations. Among middle-aged (45 to 54) fans, nine per cent admit experimenting with illegal drugs at a festival, a fifth drink to excess, 10 per cent have slept with a stranger, and two per cent got into a fight, according to the study by MSN.co.uk. Others even admit burning tents. Brits will spend an average of £423.01 at UK festivals this year, making them too expensive for 60 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds.
However, despite The Rolling Stones headlining Glastonbury and The Stone Roses the Isle of Wight Festival, just 45 per cent actually go for the music. The others are lured by the atmosphere, the chance to socialise with friends, and to 'escape from everyday life'. In total, 47 per cent have done things at a festival they would 'never consider doing outside of the music festival environment', the study found. For those aged 35 to 44, the figure is 50 per cent. Festivals expert George McKay, Professor of Cultural Studies at Salford University, said it was 'human nature' to let your inhibitions go at a festival. He said: 'Festivals are deeply rooted in the carnival tradition, which is to invert everyday expectations of normal behaviour.
Different reasons: Other festival-goers say they go to events like Glastonbury, pictured from the Stone Circle area of the festival site on Worthy Farm, Pilton, to 'escape from everyday life'
'Historically, carnivals would have a ‘lord of misrule’ who oversaw the revelries and subversion of the ordinary rules of life.'For example, at the medieval Christian Feast of Fools, a ‘Boy Bishop’ would lead a temporary revolution interlaced with hedonistic partying. 'This carnival attitude can be seen in the earliest popular music festivals in Britain, such as the Beaulieu Jazz Festival in 1960. That ended up in a riot between modern and trad jazz fans. 'The Stonehenge Free Festivals of the 1980s also degenerated into trouble.
'The MSN research shows that misbehaving modern festival goers are simply upholding this ancient tradition.' Professor McKay added: 'The pop festival has been around for more than half a century. That means there are now several generations of keen festival-goers. 'Remember that venerable hippie slogan from the 1970s: "You’re never too old for a happy childhood"? 'Music festivals continue to be places where we can escape reality and subvert the rules - whatever age we happen to be.'
Typical British weather: One in eight festival-goers say they are staying away from events held in fields this year because of fears it will ran the entire time
While escaping reality for a few days can be fun, it can also have its irritations. The biggest gripe is that portaloos are not cleaned often enough, with 43 per cent infuriated by this, the poll of 2,000 festival-goers found.
Almost one in five (17 per cent) are irked by the high price of food and drink, and 16 per cent say they have to queue too long to buy it. A similar number (17 per cent) get frustrated at not being able to charge their mobile phone or get a signal.
One in eight festival fans say they are staying away from the fields this year because of fears over the weather. And of those that are going, a pair of wellies tops their list of essential items, followed by wet wipes, fancy dress and clean underwear.
Office worker Ryan Davies, from Manchester, said the 'free-spirit' nature of festivals make them the perfect place to forget about the stresses of work.
The 41-year-old said: 'Festivals are the perfect place to let your hair down without anyone judging you. I have a responsible my day job, so usually moderation and professionalism are key.
'Once I have pitched my tent I can really relax, let off a bit of steam and share the love. The good music is a bonus.'
