Britain Holds 2,820 Days Of Major Festivals In 2010

The findings from analysis by Rockwool, the world’s largest producer of stonewool insulation, has revealed that South West England is the most active festival region, hosting 147 major festivals throughout 2010 lasting a staggering 591 days in total and attracting hundreds of thousands of revellers.

The South East has the second highest density of festivals, with 117 major events during 2010, with Greater London having 67 events and Yorkshire and Humberside 56 festivals.

At a county level, Greater London has more major festivals than any other district in the UK, followed by Devon which has 39 major festivals in 2010, North Yorkshire with 27 and Somerset with 26.

While Britain’s glut of festivals may be music to the revellers’ ears, they’re likely to be less appealing to some of the residents. By the end of the year the South West is predicted to have suffered from a combined 591 days of noise thanks to its role as Britain’s festival hotspot.

Paula Bateman, corporate affairs director, Rockwool commented: “It is staggering to see just how many summer festivals the UK now has, and our research only focused on larger festivals that advertise and sell tickets online.

“While summer festivals are hugely popular and enormous fun for many, and can also provide a welcome income stream for local communities, they can be extremely disruptive.

“There are a number of solutions available for those who are concerned about noise, including cavity wall and roof insulation and improving window insulation through double or triple glazing. While these steps may seem overkill for a festival that lasts a few days, in reality improving insulation will also boost heat retention and reduce household energy bills, so has multiple benefits for householders.”

Major musical events such as the iconic Glastonbury mean that usually quiet villages can become a hub of partying. This year, Glastonbury alone attracted a record 177,500 fans on its 40th birthday, significantly increasing noise levels for the 935 residents of the closest village of Pilton.

The research also revealed that July could well be the noisiest festival month, hosting more than a quarter (28%) of Britain’s festivals. For those wishing to keep noise to a minimum, August offers little respite with a fifth (21%) of all festivals occurring during this month.

Lisa Lavia, managing director, Noise Abatement Society, commented: "Many festival organisers have good relationships with their local council and residents to ensure that excessive noise is curbed and that sound levels are closely monitored.  However, there are occasions when residents are unduly impacted by loud music broadcast late into the evening, which people find both invasive and distressing.  Those living near festivals can campaign to have their voice heard by contacting their local council, or take practical steps to reduce the sound entering their property by installing products such as noise dampening insulation."

* Analysis of efestivals.co.uk data for festivals taking part in Great Britain during 2010.

* “Number of festivals” denotes the total number of festivals in that region or county between 01/01/2010 and 31/12/2010. “Days of festivals” denotes the total number of days on which festivals took place throughout the same timeframe.