A so-called “Glastonbury effect” has led to a spike in sales of guitars.
The retailer guitarguitar said it witnessed a 16% jump in sales of electric guitars at the weekend, after people were inspired by days of performances at Worthy Farm in Somerset.
Store bosses said the website also saw a 20% boost in the number of visitors aged 18 to 24, while website searches for Schecter Guitars – used by Robert Smith and Simon Gallup of headliners The Cure – rose by 55% after the band took to the stage on Sunday night.
Stormzy and The Killers were the other 2019 headline acts, while the likes of Janet Jackson, Kylie Minogue and Vampire Weekend also entertained the crowds.
The music retailer said the number of guitars sold can rise by as much as 20% between the end of June and the middle of August each year – the period when several major UK music festivals take place.
Graham Bell, co-founder of guitarguitar, said: “The world is a very different place from what it was when the first Glastonbury Festival took place in 1970.
“But 49 years later it’s amazing to see that people continue to be inspired by their musical heroes and it makes us proud that we’re able to give them everything they need to emulate their favourite musicians.”
The store was founded in Edinburgh in 2004 and has grown to have shops in Birmingham, Camden, Epsom, Newcastle and Glasgow.