‘I knew it would be a robbery.’

That comment on X just about sums up the inevitable reaction to news that Glastonbury Festival will raise prices by 13% for their next cultural extravaganza in 2027. 

On social media, the haters were out in force. 

‘I’d rather do 2 festivals for that price,’ said another X user, while Emma Jenkins on Instagram commented: ‘£413? What a joke, could go to Europe for the weekend.’ 

I get it. You could indeed go to somewhere like Italy for £413 (Glasto ‘27 will actually ‘only’ cost £408) and have an Aperol Spritz in some quaint square. 

You could do a whole number of lovely things for £413, like buy a mid-range cordless Dyson vacuum cleaner, or pay about 30% of a rental deposit on a London flat. 

But if you are into live music, or just culture and art and comedy and entertainment in any form, then the price of Glastonbury is a bargain. In fact, by my sums – they could get away with charging even more. 

While Glastonbury isn’t directly commenting on the announcement today, in 2023 – when the price hiked considerably by £55 to £340 – organiser Emily Eavis explained: ‘We have tried very hard to minimise the increase in price on the ticket but we’re facing enormous rises in the costs of running this vast show, whilst still recovering from the huge financial impact of two years without a festival because of Covid.’

But no matter the reason for the yearly price hikes – whether that be Covid catching up, Brexit, or inflation – if just a handful of the rumoured big artists come through, Glastonbury 2027 could cost £538 a ticket, and still be incredible value for money. 

Here’s the maths: Fontaines DC are hotly tipped as headliners, and I just paid £90 to see them at St James’ Park in Newcastle next July. 

Robbie Williams is predicted to be the next in line to fill the Sunday afternoon Pyramid Stage legends slot. He can be seen on day two of the Lytham Festival in July for £97. But even that’s already sold out. 

Harry Styles is also heavily rumoured to be capping his recent success with a slot at Worthy Farm. 

Regular tickets for his Together, Together residency in Wembley this year cost between £44.10 and £466.25, and while it’s hard to be specific with dynamic pricing, anecdotally I don’t know anyone who paid less than £100 for the privilege other than those who snagged the few free tickets which were handed out for restricted view seats. 

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Sam Smith is also rumoured to be heading to Gloucestershire in 2027. Dress circle tickets to see them at the London Coliseum in September are currently on sale for £154.90 on Ticketmaster. 

So, calculators out, if Sam Smith, Harry Styles, Fontaines DC and Robbie Williams all end up playing Glastonbury 2027, a ticket for just these acts – never mind the 4,000 other performers over more than 80 stages – would set you back £538. 

It’s clear then, Glastonbury – while undoubtedly expensive – is not extortionate, if you look at pure value for money. 

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want Emily Eavis to charge more. It’s beginning to price me out as much as the next person. But instead of getting angry at a family-run festival that provides so much, I’m saving my fury for dynamic pricing and touts – while saving my cash for the farm. 

Of course, the Eavis family are no longer humble farmers: they are worth an estimated £400million. 

It would be ridiculous to think Glastonbury isn’t a money-making machine. So we can’t blame price hikes solely on Covid or Brexit. 

But I’d much rather give my hard-earned money to one music-loving family in return for Glastonbury than a faceless corporation.

Regardless of ethics or wider concerns, though, these festivals simply don’t compare to Glastonbury. 

The most recent Wireless Festival, in 2025, cost £415 for a three-day ticket for a lineup of 30 or so sets and performances, despite all three nights being headlined by the same artist, Drake. 

It doesn’t scream value for money, not least because the Canadian rapper’s final set finished after just 40 minutes. 

Away from the capital, Reading and Leeds this year cost £325 for 100s of artists over multiple stages. A better deal, but still more than double the £145 the festival cost in 2007. 

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At Glastonbury, prices have also gone up, but we need to get a sense of perspective. 

There are 4,000 acts, from the biggest musicians in the world to circus performers to comedy to Joe Wicks leading morning workouts, to the vast Hippy Healing fields with yoga and fortune-telling, to the Green Futures Field with live science demonstrations, to the vast apocalyptic world-building in the South East corner to CarHenge, and the cutting edge art installations of the Arcadia DJ sets. 

You don’t get that on a European mini-break. 

£413? Please. Anyone who has experienced this trippy, magical, magnetic Worthy Farm world will pay. Of course it will sell out in seconds. 

Don’t tell Emily Eavis, but it’s worth double. 

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