If you live in the New York City area, chances are you’ve overheard a gushing teenager bragging about her $260 ticket to the one and only Governor’s Ball music festival on Randall’s Island, New York City. For years, the reputation of the event has been an indie music festival that soul-searching young adults from all over the western world flock to on a 433-acre patch of grass in the middle of the East River to “discover themselves” or something. But in actuality, the growing popularity of the Governor’s Ball has contributed to its slow and steady decline. Here’s why:

1.  The lineup gets progressively worse every year. At the start of the festival about five years ago, the artists were popular enough where most people knew them, but they were still down-to-earth and passionate about putting on a great live show. These artists included Wild Nothing, Japandroids, Twin Shadow, and many others. Sprinkled in were some fun popular acts that were enjoyable for all, such as Kendrick Lamar and Of Monsters and Men, balanced out with a perfect amount of undiscovered artists. Now, Gov Ball is polarized: it consists of plastic pop artists and completely underground bands, with nothing in between. Those “in between” artists were what made Gov Ball so perfect.
2. It’s simply overpriced. When I attended in 2013, I payed only $180 for 3-day admission. There were no fees, extra charges, etc. Now, 3-day general admission is $260, plus a $25 fee and an extra $15 for shipping. And don’t forget the $45 ferry pass (with, of course, a $5 fee) which you need to actually get onto the island.
3. On my way to the festival two summers ago, I met a group of Californians who were perplexed in a subway station, trying to find the festival. To their (and everyone else’s) surprise, you can’t take a train to get to the island. Or a bus. You have to walk across a bridge, and finally you’re almost there. Only a couple more miles of walking. Randall’s Island is nearly impossible to get to, no matter the means of transportation. It is possible to get there with a car, but parking is limited and expensive. However, according to their website, there will be no parking at Gov Ball 2015 due to construction.
4. With that being said, transportation is obviously a difficult issue for festival goers. This allows Gov Ball to mooch off of people even more by almost forcing them to buy a shuttle or ferry pass, which cost $45 and $55 each, respectively, plus an extra fee. The lines for the ferry and shuttles are unreal– they stretch for blocks, moving slow as molasses. Then you finally get to the island, and there’s another line for you to wait on.

I had a great time at Gov Ball. But as the years go on, the lineup becomes less brag-worthy and the price becomes less worth it. Hiring cheaper acts and charging more for tickets, the event organizers behind the now-artificial Gov Ball are sketchy and money-grabbing.