While the festival purist still exists - the dreadlocked type who wanders around in mud-sodden clothes, probably not bothering to wash, living the simple life for a few days - they are becoming a dying breed.

New research has discovered that not only are festivals becoming more of a designer catwalk for a new kind of high-maintenance 'just rolled out of the tent' look, but that they are now the more pricey choice for music revellers.

The survey, commissioned by the Lovebox Weekender, has found that female festival goers are increasingly being influenced by the 'Agyness Deyn/Alexa Chung effect' and are spending huge sums on a new wardrobe and top of the range designer camping gear prior to each event. 

The average pre-festival spend came in at £170, boosted by a third of the female respondents (33%) who admitted spending an average of  £220 before they had even left the house, the money going on new clothes, designer wellies, waterproofs and tents to take with them for their festival weekend.  

The survey of 3,000 festival fanatics asked festival goers to list their festival outgoings to provide an overview of the true cost of attending music festivals in 2009. 

The poll reveals that the average festival goer will spend a whopping £600 on a festival weekend. The biggest expenses being cited as tickets (average £140) followed by drinks (average £130), travel (average £100), and food (average £60).

Makes us rethink that trip to the Bahamas...