Nearly Half of UK Festival-Goers Fall Out Over Money

Festivals might be all about the music, but for many, they’re also a crash course in money management. As festival season comes to a close, a new survey by tricount by bunq – a global go-to app that automates group expense tracking for nights out, holidays, and housemates – found that of 1,000 UK festival-goers, nearly half (46%) had experienced awkward money moments with friends over shared costs.

This was due to someone not paying their share (27%) or disagreement over who owed what (19%). Friends often fall back on the “you get this round, I’ll get the next,” approach, or to try to settle up later. But small misunderstandings can snowball into awkward conversations, and for a quarter (26%) they escalated into outright conflict.

After all, even before the music starts, festivals are expensive. Ticket prices alone have soared – up 267% in 20 years*, from £82 in 2005 to £301 today – but for many, the bigger sting comes once they’re through the gates. Festival-goers consistently underestimate costs: over half overspent on food (52%) and drinks (58%), while 42% misjudged accommodation. Two-thirds (67%) even admitted to “blackout spending” – purchases they couldn’t even remember later – leading to money rows when it was time to settle up.

When it comes to managing shared costs, the majority of festival-goers (68%) still rely on verbal IOUs and settling costs as they go along, while 15% turned to basic spreadsheets or notes. Only 17% opted for a dedicated expense-splitting app. Those sticking to informal methods later admitted they wished they had tracked expenses properly, with nine in ten saying an app would have prevented the money fallouts.

“No one wants to talk money with friends, especially at a festival,” said Joe Wilson, Chief Evangelist at bunq. “Being able to easily share costs right from your phone means more time to focus on what really matters: the music and the experience.”

Among those who used an app during festivals, nearly a third (29%) said they did so specifically to avoid arguments. Data from tricount by bunq shows festival-goers are already managing significant sums this way. At major European festivals users typically split between £250 and £650 each, making clear tracking worthwhile, especially for younger people who make up the bulk of attendees.