Surely there's also a difference between festivals 'proper' and song weekends, which are my favourite types.
Also as nutty says a lot of festivals don't make any concessions for pensioners, especially the 60 -65 yers of age ones who are now having to pay twice as much tax as last year and £1.26/l this week for diesel on a motorway service station 'down south'.
also yes some of us 'older ones' aren't able to steward due to health problems.
Anyhow I still prefer a group of people enjoying themselves singing, there's nothing to beat it - try Staithes this year, there's already a thread on Mudcat about it - great long weekend and only pay for camping plus whatever you spend in the pub.