Festivals remain incredibly popular for spending the summer, enjoying great bands and acts at an affordable price. While festivals may seem like a good deal overall, those specifically interested in headliners should reconsider before making a purchase.
Although festivals offer a wide array of performances, those who prioritise seeing their favorite artists in concert rather than at a festival may discover that it can be significantly cheaper.
We have evaluated the ticket prices for various festivals and compared them to the cost of seeing the top three headliners individually in concert. The results reveal whether a festival ticket provides better value for money or if seeing the headliners separately is a more budget-friendly option.
The table below showcases the ticket prices for selected festivals, the headline acts, and the approximate value of seeing those acts in individual concerts:
| Festival Name | Ticket Price (All Days – General Admission) | Headline Act 1 | Headliner 1 Concert Value | Headline Act 2 | Headliner 2 Concert Value | Headline Act 3 | Headliner 3 Concert Value | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Festival | £286.20 | Sam Fender | £41.95 | The Killers | £223.77 | Billie Eilish | £234.14 | £213.66 |
| Leeds Festival | £286.20 | Sam Fender | £41.95 | The Killers | £223.77 | Billie Eilish | £234.14 | £213.66 |
| Boundary Brighton | £52.25 | Sub Focus | £47.78 | Pendulum | £77.25 | Ben Hemsley | £103.92 | £176.70 |
| Bloodstock Open Air | £172 | Killswitch Engage | £53.36 | Meshuggah | £113.88 | Megadeth | £132.99 | £128.23 |
| Parklife | £149.50 | The 1975 | £99.54 | Aitch | £42.85 | Fred Again | £113.88 | £106.77 |
| Creamfields | £240 | Swedish House Mafia | £113.88 | Calvin Harris | £97.15 | Tiesto | £83.62 | £54.65 |
| Forwards | £114.34 | Erykah Badu | £66.89 | Bonobo | £50.17 | Ezra Collective | £39.02 | £41.74 |
| Download Festival | £300 | Metallica | £217.40 | Bring Me The Horizon | £62.91 | Slipknot | £31.85 | £12.16 |
| TRNSMT Festival | £200.10 | The 1975 | £99.54 | Sam Fender | £41.95 | George Ezra | £50.65 | -£7.96 |
| OUTBREAK Fest | £148.50 | Denzel Curry | £25.48 | Death Grips | £39.75 | Bane | £73.26 | -£10.01 |
| Boardmasters Festival | £259 | Lorde | £67.69 | Liam Gallagher | £71.67 | Florence + The Machine | £89.99 | -£29.65 |
| Green Man | £235 | DEVO | £60.52 | First Aid Kit | £54.15 | Self Esteem | £77.25 | -£43.08 |
| Isle Of Wight Festival | £225 | Robbie Williams | £79.50 | George Ezra | £53.90 | The Chemical Brothers | £41.55 | -£50.05 |
| We Out Here | £207 | Ezra Collective | £39.02 | Knucks | £39.82 | Róisín Murphy | £77.25 | -£50.91 |
| NASS Festival | £165 | Wu-Tang Clan | £47.74 | Chase & Status | £22.50 | Little Simz | £39.82 | -£54.94 |
| Glastonbury | £335 | Elton John | £113.88 | Guns N’ Roses | £62.01 | Arctic Monkeys | £95.56 | -£63.55 |
| Wireless Festival | £248.30 | Travis Scott | £70.55 | Playboi Carti | £54.95 | D-Block Europe | £39.82 | -£82.98 |
Based on the comparison, festivals like Reading, Leeds, Boundary Brighton, Bloodstock Open Air, and Parklife provide excellent value for money, as the ticket price is lower than the cost of seeing the headliners individually.
On the other hand, festivals like Wireless Festival, Glastonbury, NASS Festival, We Out Here, and Isle of Wight Festival have higher entry prices compared to the cost of seeing the headliners separately in concert.
To help readers determine the festival that offers the best value for money, we have categorised festivals in green if they are more cost-effective and in red if they are relatively more expensive. Choosing the festival with the overall lowest cost will ensure maximum savings.
Here are the top five festivals with the biggest savings:
- Reading Festival – Saving: £213.66
- Leeds Festival – Saving: £213.66
- Boundary Brighton – Saving: £176.70
- Bloodstock Open Air – Saving: £128.23
- Parklife – Saving: £106.77
Conversely, these are the five festivals with the biggest losses:
- Wireless Festival – Loss: £82.98
- Glastonbury – Loss: £63.55
- NASS Festival – Loss: £54.94
- We Out Here – Loss: £50.91
- Isle of Wight Festival – Loss: £50.05
At Love Discount Vouchers, we have conducted comprehensive research to provide readers with the necessary information for making informed decisions. By comparing the prices of the UK’s top festivals and their headline acts, we aim to help readers save hundreds of pounds this summer.
The results may surprise readers, as there are festivals that offer room for improvement while others provide excellent value for money. Reading/Leeds Festival emerges as the best value festival, offering savings of £213.66 on the top three headliners. Conversely, Wireless Festival presents the least value, with potential savings of £82.98 by seeing the headliners individually.
With this information, readers can determine whether purchasing a festival ticket or opting for individual concerts of their favorite artists is the more cost-effective choice this summer.
For more detailed insights and surprising findings about the value of tickets for the UK’s biggest festivals, please refer to our article.
