Music festivals have come a long way since the days of Woodstock. In the mid-1990s, events like Lollapalooza and the Warped Tour transformed festivals into premier destinations for live music. But as costs rise, audiences are shrinking.
From Coachella to Pitchfork, Summerfest to Austin City Limits, there’s a music festival for just about every genre.
"You go to see a couple of bands, but then there's a whole spectrum of other bands that are going to be new to you that are going to turn you onto new stuff," said Kristina Lanz.
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But rising prices are putting a damper on future festival plans.
"The tickets are unreasonably expensive. To go to a festival and pay for a plane ticket to get there and someplace to stay, it's just become like — you start doing the math in your head and you're thinking, why am I not just going to Europe instead?" Lanz said.
She’s not alone. More people are passing on major music festivals, and the trend is showing up in declining ticket sales.
In fact, last year marked the first time Burning Man didn’t sell out.
Seth Schachner, a former Sony Music executive, said it’s not just ticket prices that are to blame.
"You are seeing a combination of lots of competition and then fans getting a lot more selective and pickier about what they want to spend their money on, and if they want to travel or not."
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Tickets to music festivals can range from $200 to $600 for single- or multi-day events.
"These are large expenditures of money, and it's not just for the show — it's for the travel, the gas, the airfare, whatever your accommodations are," Schachner said. "It's a big production. And I think, for sure, people are being a little more careful, if you will, of what they spend right now."
Lanz always asks herself one important question: "Would you pay $1,000 to go see four bands you love at an all-day festival? Because you're only gonna really be able to see like four bands. Right? You're not gonna be able to see all 12 or 25, 75 bands in one sitting."
There were 1,168 festivals in the U.S. in 2024. According to the website Music Festival Wizard, 40 of them were canceled.
Schachner said aging lineups and outdated programming are also contributing to the decline.
"The other thing that I think is important is that some of these classic festivals, like Outside Lands, Lollapalooza — they are starting to get, I don't know, a little bit old and gray. And they really need to have their formulas changed a little bit and revised."
For now, the Lanz family says unless ticket prices come down, they’ll take a pass. But at least Wally has a sense of humor about it.
"If I pay $700 for any artist, they better cradle me on stage and sing me to sleep. Not paying it… not gonna happen."
Experts say younger audiences are also experiencing music differently. They're more likely to stream virtual festivals through platforms like Fortnite or Roblox and skip the in-person experience altogether.
