We've seen that Olivia Rodrigo can truly belt out a tune, and that Ian McKellen might've been a Scissor Sister in another life. But look a little deeper, and Glastonbury reveals something more about the UK itself—particularly how we spend, stream, and behave as consumers. Let's take a closer look.
The first thing we've learned is that the Brits are willing to set aside a good amount of money to hang around in a muddy field for a few days. While standard Glastonbury tickets were around £119 ($161) in 2005, twenty years later, they've reached £378 ($511), plus a booking fee, so inflation has definitely had its part to play.
Add in all the travel costs – Glastonbury takes place in the rural heart of Somerset, with many of the attendees travelling from major cities like London, Manchester, and Birmingham – the cost of food, camping gear, and outfits, and many festival goers are easily spending upwards of £800 to £1,000 ($1,083 to $1,353). It's an experience to commit to, that people want to maximise and have no regrets about.
Digital Glastonbury: The Rise of At-Home Viewership and Interactive Entertainment
Then again, it's only a select number of consumers. While Glastonbury Festival 2025 attracted around 210,000 attendees, millions more watched from home, with the BBC offering wall-to-wall coverage of the festival across BBC One, Two, Four, BBC Sounds, and, of course, BBC iPlayer. The latter was probably the most utilised platform, especially when it comes to Glastonbury's typical audience.
This mobile-first engagement allows viewers to see exactly who you want to see, when you want to see them – a trend that has been recognisable across multiple platforms and industries over the last few years. Looking at the gaming-verse, services such as BetMGM UK reflect how consumption has shifted toward interactive, personalised platforms that complement live events, and iPlayer has fitted neatly into that shift. No longer do viewers need to sit through an entire broadcast to catch their favourite artist's set, they can skip right to their favourite performances and make the Glastonbury experience more personal than ever.
From TikTok to AI DJs: How Technology is Reshaping Festival Fan Culture
As we just mentioned, BBC iPlayer was one of the go-to platforms for Glastonbury's typical audience, mainly because the typical audience are fans who are used to consuming content in their own way. Contemporary audiences are frequently on TikTok, Twitch, and YouTube – platforms where immediacy and personalisation are the norm – and they're the audience that experiences Glastonbury in an entirely different way to others.
While many are apparently turning to 'dumb phones,' there are still millions using their mobiles to watch Glastonbury, and for them, it's no longer just about who's on the Pyramid Stage – it's about the memes, the viral moments, the behind-the-scenes glimpses, and the ability to remix and re-share in real-time. This seems pretty alien to a lot of people now, but over the next few years, it's only going to get more out-there. Take AI DJs, for instance. Glastonbury 2025 had many fabulous DJ sets, but modern audiences are already used to AI DJs and augmented reality filters, whereby music and visuals are created to suit the mood of the crowd or even individual listeners. For today's crowds, this fusion of tech and music isn't just a novelty. It's an expectation that will reshape how festivals like Glastonbury evolve in the coming years.
Artist Momentum and Festival Marketing: Who Really Wins on the Pyramid Stage?
Let's finish on the Pyramid Stage. Glastonbury 2025 was blessed with headline performances from The 1975, Neil Young, and Olivia Rodrigo, but were they the real winners when it comes to festival exposure and long-term artist momentum? While headlining the Pyramid Stage undoubtedly offers massive visibility, the true impact on an artist's career can vary wildly, and it's up to their team to take advantage of the publicity spikes with brand deals, surprise gigs, and increased exposure.
Just getting on the Pyramid Stage isn't enough. The real winners are the ones who turn that moment into a lasting connection with their audience and build strategically when they're out of the festival buzz. Someone like Neil Young won't care about that! But for artists like Olivia Rodrigo, this could be her moment to shine – and, outside of all the facts and figures of Glastonbury Festival that we've just talked about, seeing a young star make it big is what Glastonbury is really about.
