The festival scene in Europe is going through a major transformation. While the two years after the pandemic saw a large return of festival-goers, the industry is still facing challenges, including economic uncertainties, reduced public subsidies, and higher expectations from an increasingly demanding audience. Government support is struggling to cover significant losses and rising costs, forcing many organisations to rethink their business models, or even shut down. These challenges highlight the need for innovative solutions that can balance economic sustainability, attendee satisfaction, and long-term viability.
In this complex context, the 2024 Barometer provides insights into these changes through the analysis of data and best practices collected from Weezevent’s partner events. Ticket pricing, trends in F&B offers, average basket composition, and the relationship of festival-goers with cashless systems are key topics we explore through numerical analysis.
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Summary
Scope of the barometer
In 2024, Weezevent partnered with 800 large-scale events across 15 countries, attracting over 20 million participants.
Our study presents a comparative analysis of data collected from European events. This data was collected using a suite of tools developed by Weezevent, including WeezPay for cashless payments, WeezTicket for ticketing, and WeezAccess for access control.
For consistency and comparability, all currencies were converted to euros, based on the average exchange rate observed from July 1 to August 31. Prices are shown inclusive of taxes.
Ticketing offers
To ensure the viability of a festival, it may be necessary to rethink the ticketing offer. It has been observed that the average price of a standard ticket has increased by 8%, rising from €45 in 2023 to €48. Since 2022, when the average price was €42, tickets have increased by 14%.
In order to cope with rising production costs without compromising access to culture, many events have implemented a “business class” ticketing strategy. This involves creating premium offers to target a new audience and generate new revenue streams, while maintaining an affordable entry-level price. For example, a German festival (25,000 people/day) introduced a new offering to cater to a more demanding clientele, including parking, fast-track access, premium F&B options, and a relaxation zone. This was done without detracting from the general public’s offering, where the standard ticket remained almost half the price of the premium ticket.
The 2024 festival report by the SMA (a French festival syndicate) highlights that the trend of “last-minute ticket reservations” is more pronounced than ever. Several factors can explain this phenomenon: first, the purchasing power of Europeans is declining, making it harder for some to commit to a significant expenditure at the opening of ticket sales. Additionally, unfavorable summer weather conditions in several regions (storms, floods) have made it more uncertain to plan for attendance at an outdoor event, slowing down early ticket purchases.
Prices and consumption observed at the bar
Festival bars are much more than refreshment points: they reflect consumption trends and the expectations of festival-goers. In our study, we distinguish between standard beers, the most commonly sold and accessible, and premium beers, valued for their unique character or superior quality.
In Europe, the average price for a 50cl standard beer increased by 8% compared to 2023, reaching €7.13. The average price for a 50cl premium beer follows a less pronounced upward trend, with a 3% increase, reaching €8.34 in 2024.
Of all the drinks offered, beer represents 68% of sales. While this share remains dominant, it shows the growing interest of participants in other products such as spirits and cocktails (9% of sales), but also wine (15% of sales).
The average price of non-alcoholic drinks (soft drinks) in 33cl servings is €3.40, a 3% increase compared to last year. These beverages account for 8% of total bar sales, including water and sodas.
This evolution in preferences at the bar reflects a more varied demand from festival-goers, who no longer settle for traditional options. They seek an offering that enhances their experience on-site while remaining accessible. This drives organisers to refine their range to meet these expectations without complicating logistics, while also exploring new opportunities to increase satisfaction and revenue.
Composition and evolution of the average basket
The analysis of the average daily basket of festival-goers is based on revenue from several sources such as ticketing, bars, catering, and other activities (merchandising, ecocups, additional activities, activation fees, etc.). This multidimensional analysis reveals trends in the consumption habits of festival-goers.
The average daily basket per festival-goer is €81, representing an overall increase of 6% compared to 2023. This increase is distributed as follows:
- Ticket prices: €48, up 7%
- Bar spending: €18.41, up 4%
- Catering: €9.74, up 5%
- Various and Merch: €4.37, up 9%
The breakdown of spending shows that ticketing constitutes nearly 60% of the average basket, but the additional spending on bars, catering, and merchandising forms a significant lever (41%) that should not be overlooked.
Enhancing the plant-based catering offer
The data collected shows a notable increase in demand for vegetarian and vegan options among festival-goers. In 2024, 11% of the dishes consumed at the analysed festivals were vegetarian (6%) or vegan (5%).
This trend reflects a shift in eating behavior, with a significant portion of the audience opting for more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives. It is therefore interesting to develop a plant-based offering to meet this demand.
Optimising the bar and catering experience
With 35% of the average basket spent on drinks and food, these items represent a major revenue lever for festivals. Streamlining purchases at points of sale is essential to maximise revenue while improving the festival-goers’ experience. To minimise wait times at points of sale, several solutions should be explored.
The cashless system, already adopted by 80% of major French contemporary music festivals, can reduce the waiting time at bars by 30%. Eliminating the exchange of physical money significantly accelerates transactions by removing time spent on calculations, giving change, and reducing cash register errors. Furthermore, cashless payments outperform card payments because they eliminate steps like the “bank call” which requires a reliable internet connection and introduces delays, especially in environments where bandwidth is prone to saturation.
The organisational improvement of a point of sale plays a key role in its proper operation. It is estimated that 80% of sales fluidity depends on an optimised layout, with a dedicated work area positioned 1.5 meters behind the servers. Additionally, integrating racks identifiable by product type significantly accelerates service.
10% of sales fluidity depends on a streamlined offer. This involves reducing the range of products and standardising container types to minimise handling time. Certain strategic products should be highlighted through clear signage to guide festival-goers’ choices quickly.
10% of sales fluidity depends on the organisation of the team, with distinct roles between servers, preparers, and stock replenisher. Organising staggered shifts helps maintain motivation and efficiency throughout the event.
Capitalising on merchandising and secondary activities
Although representing only 6% of the average basket (€4.37), merchandising and secondary activities are experiencing the highest growth in 2024 (+9%), highlighting their potential.
Offering exclusive or customisable products (collectible items, artistic collaborations) and paid activities (workshops, artist meet-and-greets, access to a premium area) enriches the experience and generates additional revenue. Cross-selling at the ticketing stage, with special offers or discounts for early purchases, can boost these sales by encouraging festival-goers to buy in advance and enjoy a more complete experience.
Cashless payment practices
Understanding festival-goers’ choices regarding recharging their cashless accounts enables event organisers to adjust their payment solutions. This data is essential to respond to changes in participant behaviors and improve their overall experience.
Online top-up: an established standard
In 2024, the trend of online top-up continues as the preferred choice for festival-goers. 74% of top-ups are made online, up 4 points from 2023. This trend reflects a constant desire for fluidity and simplicity, allowing participants to top up their accounts in advance, avoid queues, and fully enjoy the event.
Among the online recharging methods, there is a shift towards faster and more intuitive solutions. This year, 39% of online top-ups were done through “fast top-up,” compared to 35% in 2023. This method, which allows recharging a cashless device via a QR code attached to it without creating an account, appeals due to its simplicity and efficiency.
The trend shows that top-ups made via festival websites, which decreased to 33% from 40% in 2023, are gradually shifting to the mobile apps of festivals, which have seen a slight increase, rising from 25% to 28%.
At a major Swiss festival (25,000 festival-goers/day), 100% of payments are now made online, 50% of which are through “fast top-up.” This model allows savings through reduced infrastructure costs and frees up space on-site to reallocate it to other uses.
The next step for organisers is to maximise pre-event top-up. By encouraging festival-goers to pre-load their accounts, they secure revenue and improve cash flow management. This also facilitates a smoother consumption process during the event: festival-goers, having already credited their wristband before the festival, can thus enjoy an uninterrupted experience, which tends to encourage higher consumption.
Proven trust in cashless technology
Analysis of top-up frequency shows that the majority (79%) of festival-goers top up their accounts less than twice during the event, and nearly half (48%) do so only once.
The proportion of festival-goers making three or more top-ups drops to 21% in 2024, compared to 28% in 2023.
The trend is clearly towards a more proactive account management from the start, and festival-goers seem to prefer loading larger amounts. This behavior is also supported by the option to be reimbursed for unused balances, an option that reassures participants about managing their funds.
Post-event cashless balance
The post-event cashless balance represents a significant portion of revenue, ranging from 40% to 50% of the net bar revenue. This amount can be seen as a missed opportunity for the festival to fully capitalise on. In fact, the remaining balance on cashless accounts after the event represents a missed opportunity to maximise revenue.
The refund request stage provides a final opportunity to engage festival-goers. Rather than allowing this money to dissipate, organisers can propose several creative solutions: offering a voucher for tickets to the next year’s edition with private sales or an e-shop for exclusive festival merchandise and souvenirs. Another option is to offer a donation to partner charities or enable carbon offsetting, thus turning a balance into a positive action.
Conclusion
2024 marks a turning point for European festivals, forced to innovate in the face of economic, social, and environmental challenges. Organisers are adapting their models, combining segmented ticketing and upgraded services to diversify revenue while maintaining accessibility.
The cashless system, now widespread, strengthens operational efficiency and improves the festival-goer experience, while opening up new economic opportunities. At the same time, the demand for plant-based and responsible food offerings continues to grow, reflecting a sustainable shift in public expectations.
Despite the economic challenges, festivals show remarkable adaptability, blending innovation, sustainability, and participant satisfaction.
It is important to note that these analyses are based on specific data and may not be universally applicable to all contexts or events. They should be considered as a starting point for deeper understanding and informed decision-making.
The collection and careful analysis of data from your own event allows you to assess how these results apply to your specific audience. For example, you can explore in detail the data collected through your Weezevent account using the ticketing, access control, cashless, or emailing tools available to you.
Do you need advice on collecting and utilising participant data? Contact our expert team!
Sources
¹National Center for Music. The National Center for Music provides a preliminary assessment of festivals in 2024 in partnership with the Ministry of Culture. 2024, https://cnm.fr/communiques/le-centre-national-de-la-musique-dresse-un-bilan-anticipe-des-festivals-en-2024-en- partenariat-avec-le-ministere-de-la-culture/
