Revealed: where festival-goers are splashing their cash

● New survey reveals Brits are willing to overspend on food at festivals
● Almost a third of Brits splash out on alcohol
● Participants said value for money influences their spending habits

A new survey has revealed the UK’s event spending habits as festival season approaches.

Promotional vehicle supplier, The Events Structure, asked 10,000 people where they’re willing to overspend at events and festivals - as well as what influences which products they buy.

Food proved the most popular festival expense, with almost 40% of participants admitting they were more than happy to overspend on snacks.

Alcohol was the runner-up - with 30% of respondents, and 38% of over-65s, saying they were prepared to foot the bill for festival booze.

Overall, 1 in 4 women said they were happy to splash out on booze, while 30% of men favoured a soft drink.

According to the study, a quarter of Brits said soft drinks and water warranted an overspend - rising to 38% in the 55-64 year-old age range.

Familiar faces

Some participants cited peer pressure as an influence on their spending habits, with 27% of 55-64 year olds admitting that social factors dictate what they buy.

57% of respondents said value for money sways how they spend their money - while 18% of participants said attractive promotions boost their impulse buys.

Brand familiarity also proved influential - with 16% of Brits referencing branded merchandise as something they’re willing to overspend on.

1 in 4 cited the appeal of unique merch - with a substantial 53% of Welsh respondents happy to pay higher prices for memorabilia.

Spending a penny

According to 16% of Brits, essential amenities are a must - with on-site facilities proving particularly important to over a quarter of 25-34 year olds.

12% of those surveyed said they’d be happy to splash their cash on additional tickets and passes at an event - with almost a fifth of 18-24s giving it their vote, versus just 2% of 55-64 year-olds.

Live demos and bold branding also influence what Brits buy at events, raking in a combined total of 23% of the overall vote.

Justin Isles, Managing Director at The Events Structure said: “We’re finding festivals are an increasingly dominant part of our overall client project profile. It’s been enlightening to work with brands using these events - not only to launch, but to actually retail products and drive revenue.

“It’s great to see that promotions and live demonstrations are still having an impact on the British population – something that’s evident with brands like Freshbe, who used SW4 Festival to both launch their drinks range to aspirational consumers and also sell products onsite.”

The Events Structure survey follows a report from The Telegraph newspaper, revealing an 8.5% spike in festival spending last summer.

Topline results:

Which products are you willing to overspend on at events/festivals?

● Food: 38.8%
● Alcohol: 29.6%
● Soft drinks/water: 24.8%
● Branded merchandise: 16%
● Facilities: 15.6%
● Additional tickets/passes: 12%
● Other: 3.2%

What influences what you buy at events/festivals?

● Value for money: 56.6%
● Unique merchandise: 25.9%
● Promotions: 17.9%
● Social influence: 13.1%
● Live demos: 12.4%
● Branding: 10.8%
● Other: 3.2%

Notes for editors

The Events Structure is the UK’s only single source provider of event marketing solutions, providing effective and impactful exhibition units for events throughout the country - helping businesses on the path to creating memorable and efficient displays.

This data was gathered in May 2016 and includes responses from 10,000 people in the UK. For images or additional data, or to discuss any aspect of these results in more detail, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..