Airbnb owners are charging over 300% more to stay at their properties during events and public holidays, according to new research by money.co.uk.
The study looked at the average nightly price of rentals on Airbnb over the dates and locations where the UK’s biggest events are set to take place throughout 2021. The prices were then compared to the corresponding dates of the previous week to reveal which events increase Airbnb prices the most.
The top 10 events which impact Airbnb prices the most
| Rank | Event | Location | Dates | Average price during event | Average price previous weekend | Increase |
| 1 | Cowes Week | Cowes, Isle of Wight | July 31-August 7 | £369 | £91 | 305% |
| 2 | 2021 Open Championship | Royal St George’s Golf Club, Kent | July 15-18 | £611 | £250 | 144% |
| 3 | TRNSMT Festival | Glasgow Green, Glasgow | September 10-12 | £219 | £107 | 105% |
| 4 | UEFA Euro 2020 Final | Wembley Stadium, London | July 11 | £173 | £85 | 104% |
| 5 | Parklife | Heaton Park, Greater Manchester | September 11-12 | £181 | £95 | 91% |
| 6 | Glorious Goodwood | Goodwood Racecourse, West Sussex | July 27-31 | £253 | £173 | 46% |
| 7 | Tramlines Festival | Hillsborough Park, Sheffield | July 23-25 | £185 | £132 | 40% |
| 8 | 2021 Super League Grand Final | Old Trafford, Greater Manchester | October 9 | £361 | £272 | 33% |
| 9 | Ebot Festival | York Racecourse, North Yorkshire | August 18-21 | £193 | £147 | 31% |
| 10 | England v India five Test series | Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Greater Manchester | September 10-14 | £146 | £115 | 27% |
The event where Airbnb owners implemented the biggest increase in prices of 305% was Cowes Week, one of the oldest and most respected sailing regattas in the world, which takes place on the Isle of Wight. This may be because other accommodation options are more limited on the island compared to major cities, meaning hosts can afford to charge much more during the week of the event.
In second was the Open Championship golf tournament which this year takes place in Sandwich, Kent. Here the average Airbnb host charges £250 per night the week before the tournament, but that jumps by more than double to £611 during the event (144% increase).
The fact that this event takes place in a small town with fewer accommodation options is likely the main reason why demand is so high and thus prices see such a steep increase.
TRNSMT Festival means that Airbnb hosts in Glasgow charge more than twice as much (105% increase) during the festival as they do the week before. TRSNMT is a non-camping festival, meaning alternative accommodation has to be found, which is presumably why there is such a large increase in Airbnb prices this particular weekend!
The research also looked at a number of nationwide holidays with the biggest Airbnb price increase:
| Rank | Event | Location | Average price during event | Average price previous weekend | Increase |
| 1 | Halloween weekend (October 30-November 1) |
Glasgow, Scotland | £239 | £151 | 58% |
| 2 | Summer bank holiday weekend
(August 27-30) |
Liverpool, Merseyside | £145 | £119 | 22% |
| 3 | Christmas weekend
(December 24-27) |
Edinburgh, Scotland | £174 | £148 | 18% |
| 4 | Christmas weekend
(December 24-27) |
Sheffield, South Yorkshire | £249 | £218 | 14% |
| 5 | Summer bank holiday weekend
(August 27-30) |
Bristol | £147 | £132 | 11% |
In the country’s ten biggest cities, Airbnb owners increase prices by 6% on average over Halloween weekend, but the city which saw the biggest price increase by far was Glasgow, where hosts increase prices by an average of 58%!
The three-day summer bank holiday weekend encourages many to embark on a city break, allowing Airbnb landlords to increase by an average of 6% this weekend. Liverpool saw prices increase the most, with the nightly fee jumping by 22% compared to the previous weekend.
The Christmas weekend also offers Airbnb owners to generate additional Christmas income, with rental prices increasing by an average of 8% for the weekend, most notably in Edinburgh, increasing by 18%, followed by Sheffield (14%) and Liverpool (9%).
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