The original concept of Voodoo Festival five years ago was masterfully executed as a cheap, hassle-free, entertaining music festival. Because there was little advertising for the daylong event, it was like a sparkling secret treasure for those who went to the festival and fell in love.
Unfortunately, in our capitalist society all great ideas must die in order to make more money. Voodoo Festival was not making the most possible profit with tickets only $28. The promoters, Rehage Entertainment, want more. They want $80 a ticket, but they were left wondering how they could squeeze an extra $52 out of the event’s die- hard attendants. The answer was to make the festival two days longer.
According to 360 Media, the publicists for the event, the reasoning behind lengthening the festival is a result of higher demand each year.
There was a high demand to see great bands for $28, but there is no assurance the demand will exist for the $80 tickets. It is understandable the ticket price cannot stay the same for two extra days of music, but knowing there are no one-day passes says a lot about the stupidity of this year’s three-day concept. $80 is too much for the average student. If the promoters were smart they would have designed their three-day festival similar to Austin City Limits. ACL is offering one-day passes and free shuttle buses to the park. But why have free shuttles when they can charge $25 for a three-day bus pass?
Having an all day festival for three days adds ridiculous amounts of extra costs for attendants.
The “wardens” at Voodoo Festival prohibit any outside food or drink, boosting the cost of food to about $60 for the weekend- equivalent to a week’s worth of food for myself.
Hopefully, people outside New Orleans have a couch or guest bed to return to at night, because adding hotel costs to the already $140 total is excessive.
And then, there’s parking. It was bearable to have to park once, and then at night wait in traffic, but to do that three times is exhausting. If you can’t park close, then just dish out $25 for the shuttle, making the new total $165.
The money and traffic aren’t the real disappointments. It’s what the festival represented. Voodoo Festival was becoming a tradition where the people of Louisiana came together for one day in City Park to enjoy the amazing feeling of watching famous and talented bands with friends, at an affordable price.
But Rehage Entertainment got greedy and exploited our festival.
Unlike the Jazz and Heritage Festival and Mardi Gras, this was our festival. And now it’s just another tradition we have to share with everyone else.