Two economies
Curated festivals select their programme and sell tickets for it: the Edinburgh International Festival, Salzburg, Avignon. Open-access festivals let anyone perform and let the market sort it out: the Fringe is the extreme case, with more than three thousand shows and prices from nothing to twenty pounds.
The bed is the real cost
In Edinburgh in August, in Basel during Art Basel and in Venice during the opening weeks, accommodation multiplies by three or more. The correct move is to book the bed first, months ahead, and worry about tickets afterwards. In Basel, staying forty minutes away across the border saves more than any ticket strategy.
Booking windows vary wildly
Glastonbury requires registration with a photograph weeks before tickets go on sale, then sells out in under an hour. Salzburg opens in January and the good nights are gone by March. The Proms need no booking at all if you are willing to stand. The Festival Planner lists the lead time for each one.
The free tier is enormous
Eleven festivals in this guide are free in a meaningful sense: Fête de la Musique, Nuit Blanche, La Mercè, Notting Hill Carnival, Gallery Weekend Berlin and the entire street programme of Milan design week among them.
The second weekend rule
Where a festival runs two identical weekends, the second is cheaper on accommodation and quieter on site, with the same line-up. Coachella is the clearest example.
