Finding a music festival ticket for under $150 initially feels like a steal, until the extra add-ons of hotels, food, drinks, parking, and gas come into play. Suddenly, your “good find” for a ticket cancels out your next paycheck.
Frequent Midwest festivalgoer Courtney Becker shares her experience of finding a good deal. “I went to Hinterland this past year last minute because my friends had a connection. Tickets were under $80, which is hard to get. The next morning I remember looking at my bank app and seeing I spent over $500… it was humbling,” Becker says. “They just have so many fun things you can spend money on, and after making the initial ticket payment you think you are good to go and everything after that doesn’t count.”
The advertised prices are eye-catching and seem affordable, but the spending starts with the ticket. Travel costs may vary depending on your starting spot, along with what is accessible for visitors when it comes to staying the night. When you consider the festival experience alone, you also need to factor in parking passes, camping options, hotels, food, and drinks.
Each of the following receipt examples will allow one general admission ticket, an overnight option, a one-day parking pass, and a rough estimate of what a few drinks and a meal can add up to. This will give an idea of what the minimum cost would be to experience a festival for one day in the Midwest. (All costs were based on reports from each festival’s local tourism bureau.)
Hinterland | St. Charles, Iowa
Ticket (1-day GA): $155
Camping: $50
Parking/car pass: $20
Food/drinks: $60
Real cost: $285
A day of music and festival activities in rural Iowa exposes festivalgoers to pop-up vendors and camping. This not only makes it a more affordable experience but also a way to take in the festival atmosphere a little longer. With the starting price of a general admission ticket being $155, by the end of your stay you will end up spending around $285.
Minnesota Yacht Club | St. Paul, Minnesota
Ticket (1-day GA): $160
Parking/car pass: $30
Hotel: $200
Food/drinks: $60
Real cost: $350
The Yacht Club festival being located in a bigger city in Minnesota makes the overnight stay, combined with the purchases made at the festival, much more expensive than the ticket alone.
Summerfest Milwaukee | Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Ticket (1-day GA): $28
Hotel: $200
Parking/car pass: $40
Food/drinks:$60
Real cost: $328
With multiple stages and amphitheaters, Summerfest Milwaukee is one of the biggest music festivals in the world. What makes Summerfest different from other festivals is that it is so large that you need certain passes to get into different amphitheaters, which is important to consider before thinking your cheap ticket will allow you access to everything you may want to experience.
Breakaway Music Festival | Grand Rapids, Michigan
Ticket (1-day GA): $155
Hotel: $200
Parking/car pass:$30
Food/drinks:$60
Real cost: $445
A high-energy festival full of food, drinks, and DJs is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. With the initial ticket starting at $155, the cost of the extra expenses of the experience starts to add up.
Boots on the Bend | St. Joseph, Missouri
Ticket (1-day GA): $85
Hotel: $200
Parking/car pass: $30
Food/drinks:$60
Real cost: $375
Boots on the Bend in St. Joseph, Missouri, gives country music fans a day of live music mixed with a festival experience.
Finding the cheapest ticket doesn’t always mean the cheapest experience. Festivals are exciting because there is a lot going on, but there are also a lot of ways to spend more money than you bargained for. It is important to keep in mind that the initial ticket cost isn’t what your final experience will add up to.
