Host with the Most: why this festival’s recovery should give you hope

Running a festival these days means juggling two challenges at once: finding the right tools to streamline operations, while navigating a changed landscape for ticket sales. For Bridget Binnie, Festival Coordinator for Cygnet Folk Festival, solving both problems has led to a genuinely hopeful story.

When values meet functionality

"We made the switch to Humanitix because their mission of donating profits to charity aligned perfectly with the values of our event," Binnie explains. But alignment alone wasn't enough – they needed real improvements over their previous platform.

Photographed by Cole Kelly

"It was also a welcome change from our previous ticketing provider, which we found difficult to navigate. Humanitix is refreshingly user-friendly and intuitive."

The change paid off immediately.

"One of the best changes we've noticed is that our customers no longer complain about booking fees – knowing those fees go to a good cause really changes the conversation."

Photographed by Cole Kelly

It's a simple but powerful shift. Instead of fees feeling like an unnecessary burden, they become part of the festival's charitable mission. Customers aren't just buying tickets – they're contributing to something bigger.

Beyond customer satisfaction, Binnie has noticed something else improving: her own workload.

"Personally, I've found that each year I spend less time setting up our event and handling customer queries, which tells me the platform is getting easier to use and more efficient as we go."

Photographed by Cole Kelly

At the festival itself, the Humanitix for Hosts scanning app has proved its worth with volunteer staff, even those with minimal training. This was an improvement over their previous barcode scanning system.

This combination of ethical alignment and practical improvement proved to be exactly what Cygnet Folk Festival needed.

Photographed by Cole Kelly

The recovery that should encourage every festival organiser

While streamlining operations, Cygnet has also been steadily climbing back to pre-pandemic success – a trajectory that should give hope to festival organisers still watching slower sales with concern.

"It seems like we are recovering from the COVID years in terms of ticket sales. General ticket numbers have slowly gone back up by a few hundred each year since COVID. Overall last year we were 200 tickets down on pre-COVID numbers which were stable for at least 10 years before that, so we are creeping back up to what it used to be like."

Photographed by Cole Kelly

Even more encouraging? Their premium offerings are returning to full strength.

"Our camping tickets sold out the day before the festival opened this year – they haven't sold well at all for a few years, but before the COVID years they would always sell out in early December."

For festival organisers still 500, 1000, or even 2000 tickets down from 2019 levels, this consistent upward trend demonstrates that recovery is real – it just takes patience.

Photographed by Cole Kelly

The new reality: last-minute buyers

The biggest shift Binnie has noticed isn't in whether people attend, but when they buy.

"In terms of when people buy, it is all happening much closer to the festival since COVID than it used to. We used to have higher numbers of sales from September – October and then another spike during the festival week. Now sales spike on the day they are released and not again until the festival week."

Photographed by Cole Kelly

Those quiet spring months can be nerve-wracking.

"It's hard to watch how slow the tickets sell from September – December these days, but we have to put our faith in the people that they are planning to come, they are just holding off on buying tickets... A hangover of behaviour from COVID times combined with cost-of-living crisis."

Support that makes a difference

Managing complex ticketing during uncertain times requires more than just good software – it needs genuine support.

"What really sets Humanitix apart, though, is the personal support. Having a dedicated contact who understands our festival's unique needs and responds quickly when issues come up is a huge relief."

Photographed by Cole Kelly

For complex events like festivals, it’s about having someone who truly gets your specific challenges.

"It makes a real difference to know someone has your back during crunch time. I've already recommended Humanitix to several other event organisers and will continue to do so."

Why this matters for your festival

Cygnet Folk Festival's story offers two crucial insights for struggling festival organisers:

1. Recovery is happening, but it's gradual. Don't expect to bounce back to 2019 numbers overnight, but consistent year-over-year growth is achievable.
2. Late sales are the new normal. Those anxious months watching slow sales don't necessarily mean people aren't coming. They might just be buying differently, holding off until the last moment due to economic uncertainty.

For festival organisers wondering if better days are ahead, Cygnet's steady climb back to sold-out camping and near pre-COVID numbers suggests the answer is a resounding yes – with the right partners, support, and patience.

Earlybird tickets are now on sale for Cygnet Folk Festival 2026! Get your tix here.