Among the mixed messages seems to be a complaint that festivals are failing to provide venues for sessions, even though those sessions may be attended by people who haven't bought a festival ticket.

There are two types of session - those which form part of the festival programme and those on the fringe. The former are usually hosted by festival guests and it's quite possible that they have a different idea of how to run them than your expectations. That's not necessarily their fault, it may be what they've been briefed to do. Some "sessions" are actually intended to be opportunities to meet and play along with well-known musicians.

The other sort just happen. In my experience most festivals do identify which pubs are likely to welcome sessions, but they can't arrange for all pubs to be music-friendly, neither can they dictate to landlords what bands they can put on in their own pub.

If you don't like the way a festival organises its programmed sessions it's up to you to decide to go, or leave if it's not to your liking, just like any other festival event. To complain that they're not organising fringe sessions as well seems unreasonable to me, especially when the festival won't receive any income.

Ralphie mentioned the Radway. Great English music sessions, and for me one of the main reasons to go to Sidmouth. However they wouldn't happen without the festival. To go to Sidmouth and sit in the Radway all week without making any financial contribution to the festival seems to me mean-spirited. In reality, most people do make a contribution, whether its buying a full season ticket or just tickets to individual events.