Continental drift for music festival fans

Published on Saturday 19 July 2008 19:36

THOUSANDS of Britons who are fed up with mud, soaring ticket costs and the sky-high price of beer are heading to the continent for music festivals.

Increasing numbers of youngsters are travelling to mainland Europe to see their favourite bands.

Sarah Holton is one of a growing band of revellers who are being lured abroad by the promise of sunshine, inexpensive drink and cheap entry prices.

"British festivals are just so expensive," said the 21-year-old.

"I can get a four-day festival ticket in Belgium and pay for my travel and drinks for the same price as a ticket to the Reading Festival."

About half the punters at the Benicassim festival, in Valencia, Spain, this weekend are British.

Last week tickets for next year's T in the Park sold out in just ten hours and the growing demand for continental festivals has persuaded student entrepreneur Max Lewis to set up Festivalbus, which took more than 100 people to the recent Dour Festival in Belgium.

For 75 his passengers get a return journey from London direct to the festival.

He said: "There's no hassle involved, it's cheaper than getting the Eurostar and you have made a big bunch of mates before you even arrive at the festival."

Lewis set up his company mainly using the networking site Facebook. This year he has sent coaches to three festivals but plans on catering for at least 20 next year.

See Tickets, the UK's biggest online ticket agency, has more than doubled its sales of foreign festival ticket sales this year.

But it's only a matter of time before the overseas music market becomes saturated, according to Max Bolland, 26, who set up Into Exit, a website offering a travel and accommodation service for Britons going to the Serbian festival this year.

"The competition is already growing as everybody gets the same idea. It's only a matter of time until the big companies move in."