The gentrification of free festivals
Danny | 30.04.2007 21:17 | Culture | Free Spaces
It is spring equinox, the moon is bright. I had sweet-talked some sweet foreigners into attending the Beltane festival on Calton Hill in Edinburgh tonight. It used to be a great festival, music, fire, dance. I've been about 5 times over it's 20 year history, but I've been busy with war stuff for the past 3 years. I did go the year it was 'banned' ( 
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/05/66387.html ) and I was one of the people who ignored the council bouncers and took down the barriers. I've done other stuff to help out too, and when they started asking for donations, I was happy to donate.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/05/66387.html ) and I was one of the people who ignored the council bouncers and took down the barriers. I've done other stuff to help out too, and when they started asking for donations, I was happy to donate.
I don't know when this started but tonight Beltane is 'tickets' only - £7 or you don't get in. No concessions so there is no way I can afford that. 12,000 people attend each year - so gets gets the £84,000 ? Now this would be a bit like griping at how extortionate pseudo-alternative festivals like Glastonbury are nowadays but for one salient fact. Glastonbury is private land - Calton Hill is common land. How dare I be charged money to walk up a hill I've walked up many thousands of times. It is a hill I can see my birthplace from, as well as where my father and grandafther were born. It belongs to me as much as anyone who just moved to Edinburgh to capitalise on the house markets, the sons and daughter of the filthy rich who can wipe their arse with a tenner while swinging their poi.
Whoever commercialised this event, you have sold out the people who supported you, but worse, you have privatised a public space. How alternative is that ? You have turned the naked dancers into little better than the lap-dancers in Tollcross, or the strippers in the 'pubic-triangle' east of the Grassmarket. Typical though of this new century, I'd never have guessed I'd long for the good old days of Thatchers Britain. What is really scaring me is how many other 'free festivals' are now going to be unaffordable to me now I have the time to attend them again ? And worse, festivals used to be free-spaces where you were encouraged to participate not just gawk. 'Society of the Spectacle' indeed.
I've come back to write this post then I'm heading out at midnight to create my own festival on another bit of public land. The tickets are £200,000 - plus booking fee - or 2p concessions. It might not be that great this year, but it'll be better than that regurgitated hypocritical crap that passes itself for Beltane now for the posh kids and rich tourists. This year it is just going to be me, four Scottish friends, some Spanish girls, a Breton lad, an Irish couple, a Finnish girl, some crappy musical instruments and three bottles of whisky. At least two of us will be naked - and this year it is invitation only.
Whoever commercialised this event, you have sold out the people who supported you, but worse, you have privatised a public space. How alternative is that ? You have turned the naked dancers into little better than the lap-dancers in Tollcross, or the strippers in the 'pubic-triangle' east of the Grassmarket. Typical though of this new century, I'd never have guessed I'd long for the good old days of Thatchers Britain. What is really scaring me is how many other 'free festivals' are now going to be unaffordable to me now I have the time to attend them again ? And worse, festivals used to be free-spaces where you were encouraged to participate not just gawk. 'Society of the Spectacle' indeed.
I've come back to write this post then I'm heading out at midnight to create my own festival on another bit of public land. The tickets are £200,000 - plus booking fee - or 2p concessions. It might not be that great this year, but it'll be better than that regurgitated hypocritical crap that passes itself for Beltane now for the posh kids and rich tourists. This year it is just going to be me, four Scottish friends, some Spanish girls, a Breton lad, an Irish couple, a Finnish girl, some crappy musical instruments and three bottles of whisky. At least two of us will be naked - and this year it is invitation only.
Danny
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