Everything is so expensive now and most festivals tend to be hosted in those few spaces that are still free and open to the public. (I say “free” but these are largely publicly funded spaces, so admission has been paid well in advance.)

It’s such a crummy barrier to entry, honestly.

If you’re going to charge an obscene amount of money for your event, host it at an obscenely expensive venue that is out of everyone else’s way, and not encroaching on the other ways they would like to (and can afford to) spend their time.