Do we need to descend to the level of commercial football or rock concerts which we know are inflated?

I hold the opinion that folk music is different. More a part of culture than a commercial thing.

Who needs to pay anything?

The organizers would not be doing it if they did not make money themselves and for the parasitic vendors selling everything at gold plated prices. The money goes somewhere and there is a lot of it involved. But if everyone was dedicated to the music then there would be no need for any money.

So just make that happen people will come and the market will expand.

You mean to tell me that folk musicans dont play dance music?
Think again.
Folk musicians have simply lost the potential markets to other genres-simply a marketing problem as people will invest in almost anything if properly convinced.

Then again folk music is rationed. If people could just walk in and experience it from the outside you would see much more of a market develop. But no folk musicians want to inflate their ego and charge rock star admissions.

No wonder things remain relativly small and unprofitable. Rationing does not help anything but the ego.

Conrad