THE HOTTEST NEW TRENDS YOU’LL SEE FOR THE 2024 FESTIVAL SEASON
Julia Charles Event Management
A Bold, Creative Event Management Company Producing and Managing Exceptional Events.
With the 2024 festival season right around the corner, anticipation is building for the latest trends and innovations that will shape the festival landscape.
Each year, the bar for the quality and overall experience of festivals gets raised. 2024 of course will be no different.
Whether it’s the immersive aspect, stage designs or pyrotechnics, we, the events sector, will be looking at new ways to create and build on these festivals every year.
We’re very excited to see the iconic Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival making a return and what they’ll do differently this year around with their stage designs and production.
Festivals are under increasing pressure to improve their sustainability practices too, with a change in attitudes of festival-goers.
In this blog we’re going to look at our predictions for what the 2024 season of festivals could look like, covering immersive festival experiences, iconic stage design and sustainability initiatives
WHAT WE’VE SEEN FROM FESTIVALS IN RECENT YEARS
In recent years, we’ve seen festival organisers raise their production, constantly raising the bar in terms of immersion, stage design and sustainability. Three key aspects of a successful festival.
Immersive Experiences
Festival organisers have continually increased their level of production, focussing on providing immersive experiences that engage all the senses.
We’ve seen organisers creating interactive art installations, virtual reality experiences and attractions, themed environments and multi-sensory activations to create truly unique experiences for festival-goers.
One of our personal favourites was Boomtown Fair , which is known for its set designs and immersive themed ‘districts’.
Each district has its own unique storyline and atmosphere, with intricately designed streets with sets that immerse attendees in different worlds.
Technology Integration
Festivals are incorporating technology in new and innovative ways to enhance the attendee experience.
This includes event apps for accessing content and navigation, RFID wristbands and event AR experiences.
In recent years, we’ve seen Reading and Leeds Festival launching a dedicated event app that provides attendees with schedules, maps, artist information, real-time updates and even cashless payments.
Sustainability, Community Engagement and Social Impact
Environmental sustainability has become a major focus for festivals worldwide.
Festival organisers have been implementing initiatives to reduce waste, minimise carbon emissions, promote eco-friendly practices and encourage attendees to do their part.
For example, Reading Festival have been investing in their sustainability , looking at eco-campsites, low carbon travel, avoiding single-use plastics and hiring volunteers to assist with waste, recycling and more.
Festivals are also increasing their focus on community engagement and social impact initiatives by supporting local businesses and artists.
They are also partnering with non-profit organisations on social causes and providing opportunities for attendees to give back to the community through volunteering or donating.
Wellness and Mindfulness
Festivals are incorporating wellness and mindfulness activities into their programming to promote physical and mental well-being among attendees.
With festivals having to adapt to behavioural changes in coming generations (who account for a large portion of people attending these events), for example seeing a focus on mental health and decrease in alcohol consumption , we have seen festival organisers incorporate this into their events.
This may include yoga and meditation sessions, wellness workshops, healthy food options, and dedicated relaxation areas.
In recent years, we’ve seen festivals such as the Green Man Festival incorporate meditation and yoga sessions into their festivals:
OUR PREDICTIONS FOR THE 2024 FESTIVAL SEASON
Now, as we look forward to 2024, we’re not just predicting what will happen; we’re sharing our insights and opinions on what we hope to see.
Even if our predictions don’t fully materialise this year, we hope to see these areas improve in the future and aim to do this in our own work as an events agency.
Immersive Experiences
In recent years, the immersive aspect has taken the centre stage of festivals around the world.
As technology develops, the possibilities of what we can do for creating immersive experiences does so too.
We expect more experiences such as Glastonburys multi-sensory sound bar:
We’re very excited for the future of immersive experiences, seeing how far this can be taken in terms of production and experience.
From VR and AR integrations to interactive art installations, engaging booths and themed environments, we believe festivals will continue embracing technology to create unforgettable moments for attendees and push the levels of production to new heights.
Does anyone remember the incredible art installation car henge from Glastonbury in 2023:
We expect to see a range of AR and VR integrations at festivals, seeing attendees able to interact with attractions, bars and brands in a different way.
For example, being able to customise your cups and choose specific flavours at bars through an AR integration at a festival bar. Or AR integrations for stage performances where attendees see a new layer to musicians’ performances with virtual dancers, pyrotechnics and opportunities to interact with one another.
See how Coachella added VR animation to this amazing stage performance:
AR will continue to blur the lines between the physical and digital worlds, giving attendees the ability to interact with the environment in real-time. Imagine walking through a forest transformed by digital creatures or encountering hidden messages only visible through AR lenses.
Attendees will have the opportunity to experience concerts and sets from anywhere on the festival site through the advancements in live-streaming technology.
We will be able to see live performances broadcasted into virtual spaces within the festival grounds.
Festivals will create huge themed environments offering a fully immersive escape for attendees.
Iconic Stage Design
When it comes to stage design, few festivals rival the iconic Glastonbury pyramid stage.
With its towering structures and elaborate set designs, Glastonbury has set the bar high for stage design trends.
Set and stage design is so important for the success of festivals and we can’t wait to see what it’s in store this year.
We expect to see projection mapping taken to a new level, giving stages a new layer through immersive animations, 3D effects and synced visuals.
Themed stage design will be taken to a new level, adding an extra layer of excitement and immersion to the festival experience.
We will see unique concepts, eco-themed designs and futuristic sci-fi cyber-punk style stage designs.
Take a look at Boomtown's new Botanica stage:
Stage designs will become more versatile using modular structures that can be reconfigured to suit different performances. From rotating platforms to collapsible sets.
With sustainability becoming a top priority for festivals (more on this below), we expect to see stage designs that use eco-friendly materials and are energy efficient.
From recycled materials to living green walls, these sustainable designs will be seen at festivals around the world.
We expect to see advancements in lighting, creating dynamic lighting effects to enhance stage performances. From unique light shows, projections and more.
Screens will continue to be a staple of stage design, but we expect them to become more interactive, invite audience participation and more. For example, by allowing concert-goers to control visuals or interact with performers in real-time.
We expect to see advancements in VR and how this is utilised in the stage design / use. Virtual reality will allow remote attendees to immerse themselves in the festival atmosphere from anywhere in the world.
With innovation driving the events industry forward, we can’t wait to see the stage designs in the next few years.
Landmark Installations
Landmark installations are an iconic aspect of festivals that has been becoming more present year on year with festival organisers pushing the boundaries and investing in this area.
These installations add more depth to festivals, creating memorable meeting points with some organisers using these installations to ‘theme’ specific areas of their festival.
From installations that house unique set designs , bars, dance floors and entertainment for festival-goers to enjoy, to unique pathways using canopies, trees, pillars and neon elements, we expect to see landmark installations taken to a new level this year.
Take a look at this huge art installation at the Ulta Music Festival in Miami last year:
Sustainability Initiatives
As the world becomes increasingly conscious of environmental issues, sustainability has been a top priority for festival organisers.
However, there is more to be done. According to Vision 2025, “UK festivals produce upwards of 23,500 tonnes of rubbish every year and create over 24,000 tons of carbon emissions”.
Sustainability is important to festival goers and organisers will have to continue to focus on this.
We predict to see drastic improvements in the sustainability planning around these events, with key areas being:
Festivals will provide more pre-pitched tents to avoid huge amounts of waste – according to this article, most of the estimated 250,000 left behind at UK festivals annually end up in landfills .
Providing more pre-pitched tents and other structures is a great way of reducing this.
Food and drink menus will be looked at to improve their sustainability , looking at more plant-based options and a reduction in meat and dairy offerings on menus to lower their impact.
Festival organisers will adopt new technologies to improve the sustainability of their events, giving organisers key data points to make key decisions and assess their environmental impact.
This technology will also see festivals aim to leave a positive impact on the environment following their event, looking at land recovery and conservation efforts through re-wilding.
We will see ‘Carbon Labelling’ in the drinks served at festivals which provide CO2 information for beverages enables festival-goers to make informed choices, promoting transparency and environmental consciousness.
Vision 2025 created a blog outlining the trends in sustainability for festivals in 2024 – view the full blog here .
BOOK JULIA CHARLES EVENT MANAGEMENT AS YOUR FESTIVAL PARTNER
We hope this blog has provided some insight as to what we can expect from festivals this year.
From immersive experiences to iconic stage designs and sustainability initiatives, festivals in 2024 are going to take the events space to the next level.
As an events agency that specialises in event design and production , we provide all of the services required to produce festivals of all scales.
Everything from concept design and planning to the ins and outs of sustainable practices, installation and event management for the duration of your festival.
Get in touch today? – we’d love to work with you on your next festival!