Vibrant folk festival scene with volunteers and visitors celebrating in rural Australia.

Festival Volunteers vs. Visitors: Who Really Values the Experience?

Lena Voss in Culture & Society August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Discover the surprising differences in motivations, spending, and perceptions between volunteers and paying visitors at regional folk festivals."

Festivals and events are a booming global industry, and a crucial element in their success, particularly for non-profit organizations, is the dedicated volunteer force. Volunteers help reduce operational costs, taking on tasks from setting up the venue to dismantling it afterward. Their contribution is often the backbone of community and regional celebrations.

While volunteers are essential, the paying visitors are the lifeblood of any festival, providing financial support and creating the vibrant atmosphere that attracts more attendees. Understanding what motivates both volunteers and visitors is key to creating successful, sustainable events.

This article explores a fascinating case study of a regional folk festival in Australia, comparing the experiences, values, and willingness to pay (WTP) between volunteers and visitors. By examining these two distinct groups, we can gain valuable insights into how to better engage and cater to their unique needs.

What Motivates Volunteers vs. Visitors: Beyond the Surface

Vibrant folk festival scene with volunteers and visitors celebrating in rural Australia.

Previous research acknowledges that volunteers and visitors often have different objectives and expectations when attending festivals. Volunteers might seek social connection, skill-building opportunities, or a sense of purpose, while visitors prioritize entertainment, cultural immersion, or relaxation. Understanding these differing motivations is crucial for effective marketing and engagement strategies.

To delve deeper into these differences, the Australian case study explored several key questions:

Experience and Opinions: Do volunteers have fundamentally different experiences and opinions about the festival compared to paying visitors?
Spending Habits: Do volunteers spend less money at the festival than paying visitors?
Value of Intangibles: Do volunteers place a higher value on the social capital, community pride, and overall benefits generated by the festival?
Willingness to Pay: How does their perceived value translate into their willingness to financially support the festival's future?

The answers to these questions can inform decisions about how to attract more volunteers, encourage visitor participation, and ensure the long-term viability of regional festivals. The study challenges assumptions about who truly values the festival experience, revealing surprising insights into the motivations of both groups.

Key Takeaways and Future Directions

This study provides valuable insights into the differing perspectives of volunteers and visitors at regional folk festivals. While visitors may contribute more financially, volunteers often derive greater personal benefit and satisfaction from their involvement. Recognizing these distinct motivations is crucial for creating events that resonate with both groups, fostering a sense of community, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of these cultural celebrations. Future research could explore these dynamics across different festival types and geographical locations, further refining our understanding of the complex relationship between volunteers, visitors, and the events they support.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

Everything You Need To Know

What are the primary differences between volunteers and visitors at regional folk festivals?

The primary differences lie in their motivations, spending habits, and perceived value of the festival experience. Volunteers often seek social connection, skill-building, or a sense of purpose, while visitors prioritize entertainment, cultural immersion, or relaxation. Volunteers typically spend less money at the festival but often derive greater personal benefit and satisfaction from their involvement, valuing social capital and community pride.

How do volunteers contribute to regional folk festivals beyond just reducing operational costs?

Volunteers are essential to regional folk festivals because they reduce operational costs by taking on tasks such as setting up and dismantling the venue. However, their contribution extends far beyond this. They often value social capital and contribute to community pride. Their involvement is the backbone of community and regional celebrations, fostering a sense of community and ensuring the long-term sustainability of cultural celebrations.

Why is it important to understand the motivations of both volunteers and visitors at regional folk festivals?

Understanding the motivations of both volunteers and visitors is crucial for creating successful and sustainable regional folk festivals. By recognizing that volunteers might seek social connection and skill-building, while visitors prioritize entertainment and cultural immersion, festival organizers can tailor their marketing and engagement strategies to resonate with both groups. This understanding can inform decisions about how to attract more volunteers, encourage visitor participation, and ensure the long-term viability of regional folk festivals.

What key questions were explored in the Australian case study to understand the differences between festival volunteers and visitors?

The Australian case study explored several key questions to understand the differences between festival volunteers and visitors: whether volunteers have fundamentally different experiences and opinions about the festival, whether they spend less money, whether they place a higher value on the social capital and community pride generated by the festival, and how their perceived value translates into their willingness to financially support the festival's future.

What are the implications of the study's findings for the long-term sustainability of regional folk festivals?

The study's findings highlight the importance of recognizing the distinct motivations and values of volunteers and visitors for the long-term sustainability of regional folk festivals. While visitors may contribute more financially, volunteers often derive greater personal benefit and satisfaction from their involvement. By creating events that resonate with both groups and fostering a sense of community, festival organizers can ensure the continued success and sustainability of these cultural celebrations. Further research across different festival types and locations could refine this understanding.