Large festivals expensive festivals keep more people out than they let in

This is pure gibberish. Any festival, whatever the size, can only accommodate a certain number of people. By definition, a small festival accommodates fewer people than a large one and therefore excludes more.

large venues do not provide a positive folk experience. For Anyone!

Tell that to the "vast majority of [Sidmouth] festival goers [who] very much enjoyed the 2009 festival, with over 95 per cent saying that they fully intended to return to the festival in the near future" (Sidmouth Folk Week Review, October 2009). Sidmouth Folk Week attracts many thousands of visitors who attend large and small concerts, dances, workshops and informal events, and who also make a significant contribution to the economy of the town. I can assure Conrad that this, and many others like it, definitely provide a positive folk experience. They also provide many opportunities to drink beer, but for most visitors that is not the primary reason for attending.