or does anyone else wonder who can actually afford to go to all these festivals?

[jeckadeck]

since these "boutique" festivals pioneered by the Big Chill/Bestival etc became the rage: they seem basically to be targeted at a very small section of well off middle class London types and I can't imagine that there's enough demand to sustain them all. I've just looked on lastminute.com and most of them are going for well over a hundred quid. Really? I'm not on an especially low income and I just wouldn't spend that sort of money on one (with the possible exception of glasto): for not much more you could go on an amazing holiday. Am I missing the point/being a stick in the mud, or is there something a bit emperors' new clothes about them all, especially given the state of the economy? And are a lot of them going to end up getting closed down? Because I sort of feel like the world's gone a bit mad....

I'm off to Camp Bestival with my 6 yo DS. Expensive? Probably, but hey, train tickets £28 return, 4 nights camping, loads of activities and bands to see, should even fit in a trip to Lulworth Cove. I reckon we'd spend as much going anywhere else, I'm a single mum so "kids go free" holidays don't apply to us. I suppose if I actually got to go on nights out and go to gigs, I could have spent way more than this during the last few months.

A lot of people I know are suddenly doing the festi thing. It wasn't that long ago they seemed to be mainly targeted at late teens and anyone over 35 would be seen as a bit of an aged hippy . Now all the "trendy" mum's seem to be going with their kids, some of which I think are possibly too young - 6yr old?

It does seem a bit showy tbh though as pics appear on FB to keep everyone updated and comments on how much fun they are having. One friend has been to 4 seemingly continuously for a month..and she's meant to be on benefits, so I REALLY don't know how she can afford it! Same friend had a few pics of her DD sleeping on a picnic blanket in the night with drunk people dancing all around and beer cans strewn next to her head. It made me think how irresponsible she was tbh and probably not what she was hoping for with her updates and "cool" pics

6 is definitely not to young when there are performers like Mr Tumble and Zingzillas. Seriously, they are not for grown ups. When I read the list of performers to DS he did give the impression that he was very keen to go.

I've forced him to go to a festival before at the tender age of 4, even dragged his slightly younger best friend along, they had a ball. So he's done the festival experience before, seen the line up and is keen and I want to go. We'll probably post pictures on facebook when we get back as we do of any holiday.

I have to say the festival experience with kids is quite different to my pre child experiences but I despised people strewing beer cans around as much then as I do now.

I don't think it's too young for the day, especially for artists actually aimed at kids - but having them out for the whole weekend and out with you at all times when you don't plan to get much sleep doesn't seem right somehow. These pictures were taken late at night and everyone around was very drunk. But each to their own I guess.

We absolutely loved big chill last year and will be taking DSs aged 5 and 7 again and the baby too this year. Yes its pricey but we used the payment plan. There's so much for kids to enjoy and we didn't keep them out late, just followed their lead. They made so many friends too and kept in touch with them. Centreparcs costs more yet most of the activities cost extra. Boys were bored there compared to festival fun and frolics! And there are ways to keep costs down whilst there; I freeze a curry, chilli and bolognaise for each nite, take picnics during the day time, buy snacks beforehand, visit tesco once we've set up camp and basically only spend money on chips and ice cream. Praying for good weather but cant understand op mentality, its about giving the kids a summer to remember and enjoying the music too

We always used to go to Glastonbury but it's mad expensive to see U2 and fucking Coldpaly, plus the BBC have ruined it

We take the DC's (aged 1 and 5) to festivals that you can buy single day tickets for, we went to Wireless without them as well. Guilfest is very child friendly, and good value. - the smaller festivals, where you can easily get on and off site for supermarket supplies are much more economical; Glastonbury is so much more expensive because it's so huge, once you're in, you're in!

Meant to add, both DC's, obviously more so DS1, LOVE festivals and have a brilliant time.

Coldpaly? That will teach me for being sweary

'but having them out for the whole weekend and out with you at all times when you don't plan to get much sleep doesn't seem right somehow. These pictures were taken late at night and everyone around was very drunk. But each to their own I guess.'

Orbinator - this is the sort of person that most festivalling parents really do frown upon.
I have not taken my son to Glastonbury for 4 years precisely because it is my get drunk and fall over, stay up all night festival of the year. He wants to come in 2013, so DH and I will do a different festival child-free so we can let our hair down.

When I take my DS to festivals it is because I want him to have a good fun weekend - and I get such great pleasure from watching him get stuck into learning circus skills, and joining in with individual or communal art and drumming workshops. At the same time he has to learn the compromise of watching a few bands with us. But when he starts to get tired it's game over for us grown ups - back to the tent where we put the kiddies to bed and then sit round a camp-fire having a quiet chat and a

Queen yes, that sounds like what I would have thought anyone with a child would do, but obv in this case wasn't. I suppose I just feel that the more parents who go to these may be tempted to do the same or simply get too drunk to remember that their child needs a proper bed rather than a muddy rug by everyone's feet.

I do feel bad for her as she obviously needs to let her hair down at all of them, and I understand the kids do love it, I was just quite surprised to see the pictures when it clearly shows her daughter could have been crushed by any number of strangers unaware of her trying to sleep.

Have to say that the people I know who go to multiple festivals all work for their tickets - I have in fact sometimes wondered who actually pays

Don't go for it myself as I struggle with crowds, but I can see the appeal. I know a lot of people say that if you do pay for a ticket its not the same as working as you don't feel part of the thing in the same way, don't get to be there for setup/take down, etc.