Glastonbury’s much vaunted deposit scheme of payment will return in 2010 for the festival’s 40th anniversary founder Michael Eavis has said in a new interview.
Glastonbury faced criticism throughout 2008. With changes made to the site, poor weather the previous year and a controversial bill (hello Jay-Z meet Noel Gallagher…) the event struggled to sell out.
This year however has been plain sailing for the organisers. A new deposit scheme allowed fans to pay for their tickets in instalments, which has led to Glastonbury selling out months before the full line up is announced.
Speaking to US magazine Billboard Michael Eavis admitted “it’s been a huge success”.
“The deposit makes it easier because the price is £175 and that’s a lot of money to find all at once. We did figure out that during the Christmas period, parents and grandparents can pay the balance for them (deposit holders). That’s what happened funnily enough. We sold thousands of tickets just before Christmas.”
“Once people commit, then they know they have got a ticket,” says Eavis. “So they haven’t got to worry, they commit to us first so we’re home and dry.”
Eavis also promised a special line up for the 2010 event – the festival’s 40th birthday. “We are trying to go through the years a little bit. We’ve got so many headliners piling in for next year though. It’s going to be a big one.”
Headliners for Glastonbury this year include Bruce Springsteen, Blur and Neil Young.
