Get off of my cloud – it's T in the Park deluxe

SNAKING queues for squalid portable toilets, shabby beer-stained tents and gallons of mud have been part and parcel of the summer festival season for generations of music fans.

But well-heeled revellers at T in the Park are now being offered the chance to have access to their own private bathrooms, bedrooms and fine dining.

However, the cost of spending a penny in luxury at Scotland's biggest music festival comes with an eye-watering price tag of up to £2,500.

While the credit crunch is forcing most events to strip away frills, the Balado spectacular has put together its most lavish hospitality package yet.

Music fans prepared to splash out will gain access to a sealed-off VIP area featuring luxurious "Cloudhouse" cabins, private toilets, showers and exclusive drinking and dining areas where they can rub shoulders with the stars.

Event organisers claim they are responding to the demands of a new generation of affluent 30-plus festival-goers no longer prepared to "rough it".

But traditionalists claim it is yet another example of over-commercialisation that is diluting the earthy and egalitarian nature of big music events.

The Perthshire event is promoting a luxury residence area, which it claims offers a "utopian festival experience".

For the first time, the festival is offering access to mushroom-shaped cabins known as "Cloudhouses, yurts and squrts". Weekend packages for the eco-friendly dwellings range from £940 to £2,505.

A T in the Park spokeswoman claimed the facilities were so luxurious they would "turn the headliners green with envy".

She said: "The packages come complete with luxury accommodation, space to park and full access to the exclusive hospitality area. It includes a host of extras, including private catering, separate premium toilets and shower facilities. Regular campers won't be allowed in the area and security will be in place."

The Cloudhouses are fitted out with sheepskin rugs, cushions and a central table featuring an ornate lantern.

Justine Lester, whose firm is supplying the structures, said there had been a shift in expectations away from leaky tents and washing with antiseptic wipes. "We have found a big hole in the market in providing upmarket accommodation at music festivals.

"Your stuff is also much safer because it is completely secure and other campers are not allowed into the area."

Lester said the "upmarket chill-out pads" appealed to groups not initially associated with raucous rock events. "We attract a lot of professional people. Teachers, doctors and lawyers are some of our best customers.

"It is mostly people in their 30s and beyond who have roughed it at festivals in the past, but want an easier life."

But Scottish indie-rockers the Dykeenies, who are playing at next month's festival, said "roughing it" was the only way to experience the event. Lead singer Brian Henderson said: "The luxury campsite sounds good, but we would rather just stay in amongst the fans.

"The first year we played T in the Park, we camped with our mates and it was an absolutely brilliant weekend. You don't get the full festival experience unless you camp."