Economy bites Glasto

Eavis says it was his best even though Glasto 2008 made no money

31 October 2008 - Michael Eavis has said this year’s Glastonbury festival was his favourite, but for the first time in 39 years the event didn’t make any money.

Due to a rise in fuel prices and general costs, there was no margin for investment in next year’s event.

Despite this, the organisers said they still managed to give a million pound donation to their chosen charities.

Eavis scooped three awards at the UK Festival Awards for Best Major Festival, Outstanding Contribution and Most Memorable Moment, for Jay Z’s rendition of Oasis’ Wonderwall.

Speaking to 6 Music at the UK festival awards, Michael Eavis said: “It was hard work making it work last year because costing had gone through the roof and the diesel costs had gone up by about 200,000 pounds. All the other costs had gone up as well.

“Glastonbury costs 22 million now, it’s a huge cost. The infrastructure, the fencing, the roads, the water and the loos, the marquees, the management, the security and the police, it goes on and on so we do have to sell out in order to make it work.”

Speaking about their finances, Eavis said: “We still made about a million pounds for the charities we work for, so we actually achieved a million but we didn’t make any beyond that.  There’s no money to reinvest or anything.

“Having said that, it’s the first year in 39 years that we didn’t make anything out of it, so it’s not bad really is it.”

But Eavis says his line up for next year is looming large and he is positive that tickets will be snapped up in a trice: “I’m very confident with the bands that we’ve got next time that we will sell out.”

100,000 tickets have already been snapped up for the festival, which won back its UK festival crown after being voted Best Major Festival.

Despite slurs over its line-up this year, the festival won three awards at the festival at London's IndigO2, proving its return to form.

"We still made about a million pounds for the charities we work for...but we didn’t make any beyond that, so there’s no money to reinvest or anything."
Michael Eavis

Glastonbury is not the only festival that's felt the bite of the economic downturn.

The Bestival mastermind Rob Da Bank told 6 Music that they don't do festivals for the profit: "We put so much heart and soul into these things, we don’t make money. It really is all about the love. To win Best New Festival for Camp Bestival, which was a massive risk, is a really good reward."

Scotland’s T In The Park was awarded Best Line-Up, and after topping the bill at some of the most high profile shows this year, it was no surprise that US Rock gods Kings Of Leon took home Best Headliner.

The Ting Tings were the other major winner in the artist categories winning a trio of gongs for best Festival Pop Act, Best Live Newcomer and Anthem Of The Summer for That’s Not My Name.

BBC 6 Music’s breakfast presenter, Shaun Keaveny, hosted the awards which featured live performances from Pete And The Pirates and Ocean Colour Scene.
 
The winners of The UK Festival Awards 2008:

Best Major Festival
Glastonbury

Best Medium Sized Festival
Lovebox Weekender

Best Small Festival
Secret Garden Party

Best Dance Festival
Glade Festival

Best Line-up
T In The Park

Best New Festival
Camp Bestival

Grass Roots Festival
Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival

Family Festival Award
Larmer Tree Festival

Best Toilets
The Big Chill

Best European Festival
Oxegen (Ireland)

Festival Headline Act
Kings Of Leon

Festival Rock Act
Biffy Clyro

Festival Dance Act
The Prodigy

Festival Pop Act
The Ting Tings

Festival Feel-Good Act
The Mighty Boosh

Festival Urban Act
Dizzee Rascal

Best Live Newcomer
The Ting Tings

Anthem Of The Summer
The Ting Tings - ‘That’s Not My Name’

The Greener Festival Award
Waveform

Innovation Award
Standon Calling: Hosted the UK's first festival underwater dance arena in a swimming pool.

Most Memorable Moment
Jay-Z mocks Noel Gallagher with his rendition of Wonderwall at Glastonbury

Jo Youle / Georgie Rogers