Festival-goers 'shafted' by soaring food prices as event organisers demand 22-25% cut
Irish music festival organizers are increasingly taking a 22-25% cut of food vendor revenue, forcing businesses to raise prices for attendees. Vendors argue that the shift from flat pitch fees to revenue-sharing models is making festival food unaffordable.
Why it matters
This trend illustrates the rising costs of live event participation and the economic pressure on small businesses within the entertainment industry.
IRELAND’S BIGGEST MUSIC festivals are demanding 22-25% of food trucks’ takings, in a move vendors say is driving up prices.
Many attendees at All Together Now in Co Waterford last weekend noted how expensive the food was, with pizzas priced at about €20 and a burger and chips coming in at €18, while a can of soft drink or bottle of water cost €4 at many outlets.
Food businesses who were there, and who have also worked other festivals across the country this summer, said the fees demanded by organisers of the biggest events are forcing them to charge more.
Whereas an upfront “pitch fee” was previously the norm in Ireland, four of Ireland’s biggest festivals – Electric Picnic, Kaleidoscope, Beyond the Pale and All Together Now – have moved over the past three years to a percentage model that is widely used in the UK.
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