Love the Australian music festival scene? So do we. However, when you start factoring in all the costs, the season can add up pretty quickly. Here are our tips for where you can save some cash, so you can spend more on having a good time.
Tickets: Get in early
Music festival tickets are, unsurprisingly, going to be the biggest outgoing when it comes to your big day (or days) out. Buying early can save you anywhere from $10 to $100 a ticket, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for early bird deals.
Byron Bay’s Bluesfest, has already started selling tickets for 2017. “If you book a year in advance you can get them for as cheap as $350,” says Gold Coast resident and Bluesfest regular Adam Hearsey. “People will buy tickets in advance, regardless of the fact the line-up and headliners aren’t even announced. They trust the organisers will bring in big names.”
Transport: Share the ride
Another big cost is transport, so carpooling with friends to split the overheads is an obvious cost-saving option. Don’t have friends going in your direction? No worries. Check out the rideshare platforms that can easily connect you with the right people for a song.
Sustenance: BYO if you can
Festival food and bevvies can add up. On the plus side, you’ve got some control over what you eat and drink. Many music festivals let you bring food, which is certainly a cheaper option than buying it from stalls. On the downside, you’re often not allowed to bring alcohol to a festival, so you might need to pay bar prices. Check the festival website before you go.
While we’re not going to suggest you stay stone-cold sober (unless that’s your thing), swapping a few drinks for water will save you cash, slake your thirst and help you enjoy the event to the fullest.
Fashion: Create a unique style with second-hand
Events ranging from the Falls Festival to the Tamworth Country Music Festival are great opportunities for people to play dress-ups. That said, festival fashion is more about imagination than designer labels, so don’t think twice about heading to Vinnies to source your mosh pit outfit, as well as other supplies.
Xara Coussin, from Brisbane, says she always checks in at her local second-hand stores before heading off. “Most of my camping gear I bought second-hand – chairs, tents, tarps, gumboots. One year I scored 10 pairs of leggings in different colour varieties, which are a must at music festivals”.
Work for your rock’n’roll
Many festivals offer the option to volunteer for a few hours in exchange for tickets. Melbourne’s Meredith Music Festival is known for its volunteer program, and offers a full ticket in exchange for two four-hour shifts. It’s a pretty good saving when you consider ticket prices are well into the hundreds.
The trick is to get in early in order to have a chance to be chosen – and get to enjoy a whole festival for just a few hours work.
One last thing
If you’re looking for last-minute gear for the festival season, Cash Converters’ online webshop may well have what you need.