Criticisms and Reputation
The festival has been noted for its commercial nature in comparison with other British music festivals. V Festival has received criticism for charging £10 to buy a programme - the only way festival-goers can see what time artists are performing - while others have mentioned the fact burgers cost £7 and water bottles are sometimes confiscated at the entrance, costing up to £2 once inside the grounds. Buying four crates on site would cost a person the same price as a ticket. Some fans have referred to the organisers of the event as 'greedy'.
Despite this, the New Statesman argues that the commercial nature has some advantages:
"Yet there are undeniable advantages to the environment. V is a remarkably non-threatening festival, with few of the rougher edges prevalent at other large-scale gatherings."
The Evening Standard gave the 2009 festival 3/5 stars after headliners Oasis pulled out of the Hylands Park leg of the festival due to illness. Furthermore, approximately 800 people were injured with most being down to falls causing sprains and ankle injuries.
In 2009, organisers were forced to restrict entry to Lady Gaga's performance at Chelmsford after fans became stuck trying to fight through the narrow entrance to The Arena stage.
In 2012, during Cher Lloyd's performance, the crowd booed and a bottle filled with urine was thrown at her, causing Lloyd to walk off stage. She came back on to finish her set but another bottle was thrown and she ended her set early.
Read more about this topic: V Festival
Famous quotes containing the words criticisms and/or reputation:
“The sway of alcohol over mankind is unquestionably due to its power to stimulate the mystical faculties of human nature, usually crushed to earth by the cold facts and dry criticisms of the sober hour. Sobriety diminishes, discriminates, and says no; drunkenness expands, unites, and says yes.”
—William James (1842–1910)
“I am sorry to say we whites have a sad reputation among many of the Polynesians. The natives of these islands are naturally of a kindly and hospitable temper, but there has been implanted among them an almost instinctive hate of the white man. They esteem us, with rare exceptions, such as some of the missionaries, the most barbarous, treacherous, irreligious, and devilish creatures on the earth.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)