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New Year, New Number Fest, New Policies
< < Back to ?p=156928This weekend, The Venue in Athens will host the biggest college music festival in the nation: Number Fest. But changes to this year’s event are leaving many unhappy.
One of the most controversial of those changes is the decision of organizers to eliminate transportation to the event – nearly three miles from campus. That decision followed last year’s vandalism of buses by intoxicated riders that prompted drivers to force students out of their vehicles. The result was hundreds of partiers blocking Route 56 as they walked back to campus.
Another move irking attendees is a decision to require all alcohol to be purchased on-site as opposed to the BYOB policy of previous years. The move has significantly reduced the number of students expected to attend the festival by almost half.
“It just isn’t the same,” Angela Codian, a senior at Ohio University, said. “The drink prices that are at The Venue are literally ridiculous – I heard they’re planning on charging over $100 for a case of natty.”
Along with the new drinking policy, many students say they feel the fest is no longer an OU event.
“I just feel like most of the people who are going this year are all not even from here,” sophomore Amberly Smith said. “I personally don’t like how many out-of-towners are coming; we get enough of that for Halloween. Number Fest is supposed to be our school’s music fest, and all of these new changes are just ruining that whole idea.”
Sticker-shock is also setting in among attendees. Depending on how close you will be to the stage, tickets can be almost twice as much as last year. A general admission two-day pass is $80, and a pass for just Saturday is $60. In the past, students paid $25 to $45 for advance tickets.
On the plus side, students say this year’s entertainment is the best yet. Artists like Fetty Wap, The Chainsmokers, and Post Malone headline the performers.
The event will start at 6 p.m. Friday and end at 2 a.m. Sunday.