Local Benefits

Glastonbury Festivals Ltd spent over £3 million with local companies in 2000, in 2002 and again in 2003.

In 2002 Glastonbury Festival directly employed 1077 people with a PAYE wage bill of £470,200. 25% of that workforce were from the local area earning £295,250 (63% of the total monies spent on wages).

In both 2002 and 2003 Glastonbury Festival made payments of over £1million to charities, local groups and good causes. Some £600,000 will be paid locally, and the balance to national organisations such as Greenpeace, Oxfam and Wateraid.

There are many other local benefits directly arising from the festival, the extent of which are difficult to quantify. Research suggests that for every pound spent by a festival, there is a further £2.5 resultant spending elsewhere in the economy. In round figures in 2002 Glastonbury Festival spent £10 million, so including the estimated resultant spend, the total impact of the festival on the economy would have been some £35 million.

In 2003, there were many trading opportunities for local residents - over 130 stalls came from within 25 miles of the site - with a further 80 coming from the greater South West. Glastonbury Festival represents a significant part of the trading income for many small businesses.

Glastonbury, Shepton Mallet and Wells Tourist Information Centres have about 200 hotels and bed and breakfasts on their books. More than fifty other households are known to take in people during the festival. Together this amounts to in excess of 2500 beds being occupied during the festival period. On average, people stay between two nights and five nights, sometimes longer, spending between £50 and £400 per head, sometimes more. It is estimated in excess of £250,000 is spent in the local community on accommodation as a result of the festival.

Ticket holders brought over 30,000 cars to Glastonbury Festival in 2003. In addition there were contractors, crew and performers vehicles. Many used local garages for fuel. (assuming the average amount spent per vehicle on fuel was about £10, the total spent on fuel could well have been in excess of £300,000.) Local garages also increase their revenue by towing cars and carrying out repairs. Local shops and pubs enjoy an increase in trade as well.

The Festival Crew and the Trakway Fence Crew start setting up the site over a month before the festival and remain for a similar time afterwards. They consistently use the amenities in the village and surrounding towns.

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