From Glastonbury to Glyndebourne – these places are ideal for a weekend visit, right?

In reality, for many people, the areas around these popular festivals aren’t just places to flock to for a few fun-filled days every summer, they’re a year-round home.

Living near Worthy Farm or the famed Glyndebourne Opera House certainly has a certain cache and the towns and villages that play host to such events often grow to reflect the charming eccentricity of the festivals themselves, but there are some downsides to living near festival sites. We take a look at the pros and cons of living in such areas.

Sharing your town with festival-goers

The first big concern for anyone looking to buy a property near a popular festival site is probably whether they could cope with tens of thousands of people descending on their town every summer.

Take Glastonbury. There are approximately 9,000 residents, joined by a further 170,000 music lovers who arrive for the festival.

It’s important though to remember that festivals usually only take place for a few days a year, and are largely contained in a large rural space, like Worthy Farm, or in the grounds of a country house, like Glyndebourne, not right in the heart of your community.

And while avoiding the revellers may not be as difficult as first thought, there’s always the option of taking advantage of the event and enjoying a barbecue as you listen to the strains of Puccini, or Radiohead. Some events even give out free tickets to people who live in the immediate vicinity of the festival.

Character and community

Towns and villages often benefit from being near a headline-grabbing festival – it certainly helps put them on the map. Plus when an area is so well-known for a big festival, it makes sense that it takes on some of the qualities that people love about the event itself – making them popular places to live.

Take Lewes, the closest town to Glyndebourne Opera House, which has developed a reputation as a cultural hotspot, in part thanks to its proximity to the famed festival site. Similarly, Glastonbury’s quirky independent boutiques and new age vibes echo the feeling of the festival and have long proved a draw for homebuyers.

Housing market

Here at Strutt & Parker we always promote proximity to Glyndebourne in any sales, particularly for properties in Lewes, and have realised the Glyndebourne brand appeals to a wide cross-section of buyers, young and old. Although it is a combination of factors that buyers determine before purchasing a property, we’ve seen a lot of interest in the area from people who have visited the festival and fallen in love with the local area as a result. whether they are upsizing to the same area or relocating completely, the amenities and culture on offer are so important. It’s what puts a location on the map, it’s place making, with community at its heart.

Although it is hard to quantify any price premiums people pay for being closer to Glyndebourne, the huge demand to be here does have a natural impact on house prices – the immediate surrounding area of Glyndebourne is a definite hotspot with stunning Downland views and an eclectic mix of local events that continues to attract buyers from all over the world.

Tourism benefits

Another obvious benefit of living near a major festival is that savvy homeowners can take advantage of the tourism, by letting a room through Airbnb during the festival period.

In our Lewes office, we have certainly had more requests recently from buyers looking for a big enough house to cater a B&B; this is becoming a popular theme as the opera house continues to draw in more visitors from all over the world.

Lewes as a town benefits greatly from Glyndebourne, with many staying the night or making a weekend of it, visiting our quaint coffee shops and independent eateries.

Fancy living near a festival? Properties for sale near Glyndebourne

If living near a festival site appeals, we have recently been instructed to see a number of properties around Glyndebourne, including Moor House, which originally formed part of Glyndebourne Estate and dates back to circa 1873. We are also offering an elegant property on Chapel Hill, just on the estate’s edge.