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Status anxiety

The self-delusion that makes people go to festivals – me included

Is it consumerism wrapped up as subversion? Or just the declining liberal chattering classes huddled together for warmth?

23 August 2014

9:00 AM

23 August 2014

9:00 AM

I wouldn’t describe myself as a veteran of the summer festival circuit, but I’ve been to enough to have a theory about them. Or, rather, discuss someone else’s — in this case that of Matthew Taylor, head of the RSA.

For those readers who’ve never been to a festival, I will begin with a short primer.

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Toby Young is associate editor of The Spectator.

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