Music Festivals - the smaller the better?

Looking at the events management sector recently it has been clear that a lot of events are ran by independent freelancing organisations. Having a vision for an event and attempting to develop unique products to deliver and build but also attract audiences for the future. The purpose of this post is about thinking - whats next in terms of music festivals? 

Will we see a Silent Disco Festival? A Music Rollerskate Festival? A festival on a deserted island...you could say thats done already. The music festival scene has dramatically diverse its offerings over the years. Offering a varied range of experiences and opportunities to enjoy a certain genre we are seeing unique delivery. From video links connecting Tomorrowland in Belgium and Tomorroworld in India to Woodstock in 1969 bringing 400,000 to enjoy three days of peace and music. Music festivals having meanings was then introduced and noted as Woodstock introducing mass music festivals as a "thing to do". Now, moving 47 years later we come to a time when going to a music festival, we are demanding something different. We wants music acts to be offering there heart and soul and in some cases surfing through the crowd is just part of your ticket. Expectations are raising and this is were the introduction of small independent music festivals are growing from. 

A cider in one hand, sitting on a recycled wooden pallet, listening to an acoustic set on a bunting tented stage. Its your "typical British Summer" music festival with the sun shining of course. For me, the perfect music festival is something that is pleasing to the eye, small, compact and not crushed like Creamfields or any other music festival that has egotistic DJs pressing play on a CD player with their arms opening wide getting the wrong crowd "going wild". Music festivals are also platforms to showcase new talent. Talent yet to break through is given an opportunity to play albums no one has ever heard of and probably will never buy. What we also see is attention to the guest experience. Its no longer all about the thousands of people its about you. Its about the consumer. Its about you seeing the whole festival and having the opportunity to experience something new. In the Cornbury Music Festival they have a mini-music makers section for the young children at the festival to try their hand out at different musical instruments while the main line up enjoys Brian Ferry, Jamie Cullum and Seal. The look is also small, compact and fun. Compare it to Glastonbury which grew from the typical farm festival to a machine. Processing everyone with tickets and packages - its all just a machine. A machine that every so often needs changed, adapted and refined. 

The Berlin wall in Europe changed the electronic festival scene which introduced more house festivals. Mainly on beaches with a lot of alcohol. But now the sector and tourism boards are jumping abroad boats and creating unique "experiences" from Balaton Sound, now taking their festival from the beach to the water. The already set audience now has a new product to experience and try and for a lot of  people will be just what they need - something different. 

What was the point of this post? Simple - to make people think about the future of music festivals. No longer is a music festival about mass music festivals. Its about the change that music can bring to peoples lives. the atmosphere that switches people off to the world outside their reality and one more thing - crushing crowds struggling to hear from favourite songs. We are now living in a consumer world. But for the music festival sector - keep it simple. Small, compact and personal. Yes growth and success means it all gets bigger - but machines do not need to be created. 

Music Festivals = a culture of enjoyment not machines of enjoyment.