Actually, Conrad, most people can afford it - the festival was a sell-out. For those who couldn't, or wouldn't pay, there were plenty of free sessions in pubs around the town, facilitated by the existence of the festival.

You still haven't explained how such a festival could be put on for free. Except of course, you don't want festivals like this to exist - you want small festivals which would of necessity be limited to local performers, because why would dozens of musicians travel hundreds of miles at their own expense to work very hard for no recompense? What I cannot understand, and which you have made no attempt to explain, is why you think that would be an improvement?