Tickets for festivals and concerts have become very expensive in recent years. Many factors contributed to the situation, starting with the hiccups of the pandemic, inflation and the war in Ukraine. held in Gdynia is one of the most expensive music events organized in Poland. This year, you have to pay PLN 949 for a four-day event ticket without accommodation. No wonder that the volunteer option is very popular among fans of the event.
Open’er Festival 2023 is looking for volunteers. They will work for free as long as they pay PLN 950
Also this year, people who want to help organize the event in exchange for a ticket to the event will have the opportunity to do so. As the organizers on the official website encourage: “By taking part in volunteering, you have the opportunity to gain valuable experience that will bring you closer to working in organizing the largest music events.” According to the announcement, work at the festival is to be flexible enough that every volunteer will be able to spend time at concerts in their free time. He will also get experience in creating large musical projects for free. However, the website did not provide information on what exactly the volunteers will be responsible for and how many hours they will work, and the reports published on this subject on the web are very different. Some write about easy and pleasant work and great freedom, others about exploitation and hard work. A small hint as to the tasks waiting for people who send their application can be found in the form, where you should mark your preferences. We can choose to help people with disabilities, participate in an ecological campaign or work in festival zones.
The message that appeared on the website outraged Internet users. The provision on the conditions for participation in volunteering is controversial. Alter Art requires an agreement with those willing to perform free work and the payment of a deposit in the amount of the festival pass price, i.e. PLN 950. The organizers declare that the amount will be returned to the volunteers no later than 7 days after the end of the festival, provided that the person properly performs the duties entrusted to him. The form was also accompanied by information that as part of the deposit, the volunteer will receive one hot meal and an overnight stay at the campsite. Free, because it may not be obvious.
The case was publicized on Twitter by Jan Śpiewak, who was also disgusted with the situation. A well-known social activist shared a message from his observer, who told a few words about what volunteering at Open’er looks like in practice. It is worth remembering that everyone may have different experiences from such work, but the girl’s message is food for thought.
After every concert we had to rush to the stage and clean up. Same in the gastro area. Drunk rich kids treated us like shit. Seriously, I wanted to cry. But I couldn’t quit, because then they wouldn’t return the deposit I borrowed from my older sister. They cleverly invented it – writes a former volunteer who took part in the event 10 years ago.
Open’er Festival 2023. Where? When? Who will perform?
The network was buzzing. Some commentators note that the idea of the organizers is the essence of the vices of capitalism. There were voices that the organizers use people who cannot afford a ticket to work hard, instead of paying them honestly for the performance of tasks. Others argue that the deposit is a win-win deal and a necessary safeguard for large companies to ensure that volunteers actually live up to their contracts.
Open’er Festival this year will be held on June 28 – July 1 at the Gdynia-Kosakowo airport. On stage, as usual, we will see both Polish and foreign stars. Among the announced performers who will join the line-up of Open’er are Arctoc Monkeys, Lizzo, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Nas X, Machine Gun Kelly, Labrinth, Nothing But Thieves, OneRepublic, Young Fathers and Queens of the Stone Age.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
