i guess it does depend on who is playing.. but i doubt i'd pay so much money. i think it's a little annoying, for example how the san francisco one - the outside lands festival is about the music and the people and the environment - but at the same time you have to pay soooo much money for it.. so how does it end up being about the music?

I really wanted to get tickets to Coachella because I've never been, but that price made me scoff. I've been to all day music festivals and they're a lot of fun, but for upwards of $200? Ridiculous! That's $500 for me and my bf just to go to a concert for a few days, and that doesn't include the astronomical prices to eat and drink there.

I find that all concerts these days are rather unappealing in their price. I remember being a kid and scraping together $50 to see some of my favorite bands. Now I see prices starting around $100 and I don't bother.

Yes, it's worth it. It's not just the dollar-per-band amount, either, festivals are about the whole experience, and any major (non-casual, that is) music fan worth their salt knows it. I have to travel from Alaska to experience these things, and it's always worth skipping other things. I wouldn't trade the experiences I've had for anything.

there have been times when i've been open to spending a lot of money on tickets to a big festival but others i think that it's a waste. it depends on a few things:
1) number of bands that i WANT to see
2) location - are there seats/lawn/complete and utter chaos
3) time of year - does it rain a lot cause that's just not fun

I feel the same way about Jazzfest this year. There are some great bands, but they're spaced out throughout the two weekends and I just don't think I have the money to shell out for multiple days this year.

I really wanted to get a one-day pass to Coachella but they sold out so fast and there's no way i'm gonna pay $269 for 3 days.

I have to say No, but not because it's too much money to shell out at once, after all when you divide it by all the bands you can see it's not really that bad. I just hate that what you end up getting is a less than intimate performance of pretty much just the most bland and radio friendly of each bands latest album since the whole experience is really just a way for bands to get as much publicity with new fans as possible. Plus, you're ususally surrounded by the worst kind of hipsters and as they're always zoos you always end up in a row with at least one bunch of owls.

My boyfriend and I go to 1-2 music festivals a year and enjoy them a lot, and we are going to Bamboozle Left this Sunday. It is about 2 hours away and the tickets were only $40 each (2 day passes were $75). I think it all depends on a combination of price/bands/location/date. I will only go to things around the Los Angeles area and I usually only go for one day. If there aren't 2+ bands that I am interested in seeing, it isn't worth it. The more bands I like, the more I am willing to pay. We will have to see if Lollapalooza is worth it, but NIN is so good in concert they are nearly worth the price alone!

Having been to Bonnaroo (and Area:One back in the day) - which ran me about the same as the current pricing for Lollapalooza - I can say it's definitely worth it. Even factoring in that it was about a 14 hour drive down there with the traffic we ran into and staying in a tent without a shower Thursday - Sunday. Besides the per band rate, there is definitely a whole other experience to the festivals. A lot of, in fact most, of what I remember about 'roo was the atmosphere, and the downtime between acts. Those were great times with the people I went with.

I completely agree with ehadams - if the lineup isn't enough to turn me on, though, it's not worth it. I wouldn't go to/have gone to a festival without being really excited about seeing enough of the acts that if you divide the price, the cost per concert would be reasonable.

the big show that i always catch is the vancouver folk festival in july. it costs around $70 for 3 days. that is the most i'd ever pay for a festival!i'd never pay for accommodation etc for a show. i hate crowds, too...so those shows dont' appeal to me.

i agree that the prices are getting a little out of hand. for me lollapalooza is a absolute must in my summer to-dos. coachella is something that i've always wanted to go to, but it would involve airfare and lodging costs which i do not have to worry about in chicago. however, if the lineup was money, i would make the trek...

oh yeah, and the atmosphere and the three days in grant park in the summer is worth the money all on it's own.

I don't really like music festivals all that much because of the large number of people in attendance. However, I end up going to three or four a year at least. The prices are great, if you think about it. Putting on a festival requires a lot of money. Sound and lighting alone costs a fortune, not to mention fees to bands, ASCAP/BMI, and paying all of the workers, let alone all the other expenses.
tlsgirl - yeah, there are some great people playing at jazzfest, but they usually also play at smaller venues around town as well (HOB, Howlin Wolf, Tips, etc). Also, French Quarter fest is, in my opinion, better than jazzfest, and it's free.

I'll pass on Coachella but Outside Music Lands and Lollapalooza are def. worth the money! For me at least.
I think it depends on who and how much...

full Lallapalooza lineup here