GLASTONBURY Festival generated £32 million of income for businesses based in Somerset last year, a new report has revealed.
Festival organisers commissioned research specialists Fourth Street to carry out a report on Glastonbury's economic impact locally and across the UK in 2023.
The report found the festival generated around £168 million for UK businesses and sustained more than 1,100 jobs – 325 of which were based in Somerset.
But putting on such a massive show does not come cheap; organisers spent around £62 million to put on Glastonbury 2023, paid to 922 organisations.
Just under £12 million of this was paid to 258 companies in Somerset.
The findings were based on surveys of 643 festival-goers, 354 festival staff and 148 volunteers, plus 30 phone interviews with local businesses.
The research also estimates that festival-goers spent £1.6 million in the wider Somerset community.
A quarter of this went to businesses providing food and drink, and half was spent in local shops and supermarkets on provisions and supplies.
Around 900 festival-goers stayed in local hotels and B&Bs, spending around £450,000.
Neighbouring landowners also generated income through accommodation or unaffiliated campsites for an estimated 4,000 people, who spent around £6.5 million.
And crews working for Glastonbury spent around £900,000 with local businesses outside the festival.
The festival was supported by an army of 10,000 volunteers, who are estimated to have spent a further £500,000.
A festival spokesperson said: “Since it began as a small-scale event on a dairy farm in 1970, Glastonbury has become one of the world’s biggest festivals.
“In 2023, more than 140,000 ticket-holders enjoyed entertainment at over 100 stages across five days, in the heart of Somerset.
“Celebrating diversity in culture, Glastonbury has become a place of joy and discovery for attendees, but the festival has also proven to have a positive influence beyond the arts.”
Market traders also benefitted from the event. There were a total of 918 trading stalls at Glastonbury 2023, including 56 units that provided food and drink to crew.
Most of those were operated by independent businesses and were staffed by 9,500 people working for around 314,000 hours.
How much does Glastonbury Festival donate to charity?
Glastonbury Festival made payments of more than £3.7 million to charities last year.
In addition to this, a raffle for tickets raised over £1 million towards the Syria-Türkiye earthquake response, and an online auction of tickets raised £116,000 for food bank charity Trussell Trust.
The festival also built 52 social housing homes in Pilton and paid to upgrade the village playing fields to include a new pavilion, club house, skate park and tennis courts.
Glastonbury also helped fund the rebuilding of the Pilton Club and village hall and the restoration of the Tithe Barn.
The festival will return in June 2024 with headliners Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA.
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