6 Reasons Why Music Festivals Are So Important

It goes WAY beyond the ‘business’ of the business. It’s about what it means to people

A summer without festivals is almost unthinkable. For me at least, it’s been such an integral part of my career and life for over 25 years and yet that is exactly what we in the Southern Hemi are currently experiencing… On the back of Europe seeing the same through its Summer past. There simply is no getting away from the fact that the music and live-entertainment industry has suffered greatly due to COVID. I’m not going to dwell on the negatives though, it’s too easy to fall down that hole. We miss festivals, we all do… For various reasons, I’ve found it quite interesting doing a deep-dive into exactly why FESTIVALS ARE SO IMPORTANT FOR THE INDUSTRY (the fans being an integral part of what I refer to as ‘industry’). 

Below (in no particular order) are some of my thoughts on the topic.

Showcasing new music and new artists

Festivals have always been one of the most prolific platforms for showcasing new music and introducing fresh talent to audiences. In the absolute absence of festivals and venues the visibility of new material and talent has been severely compromised. With the big (forced) shift to digital and virtual output in the entertainment industry, we’ve noticed an interesting (but worrying phenomenon): Well-established players have their own, substantial social media platforms as well as their label (and a PR budget usually) to make waves in the industry, but the newcomers who have no established platforms or even an audience, are almost unable to get new music out to the (potential) fans.

Memory makers

The ‘festival faithful’ (you know who you are) attach a lot of nostalgic value to festivals. Even those fans who aren’t as diehard and have perhaps only attended a festival or two will tell you that they have some very special memories from those carefree times. How many people had their first kiss at a festival? It is more than just the music and the bright lights... It is an entry passage, a way to release, a memory that will last forever and now more so than ever people must know that.

Worthwhile causes

Festivals (as part of their overall experience offerings) give the opportunity for branded stages and areas where highly innovative ideas (those that go beyond music) can be highlighted. There is much scope for social and environmental causes to blend into these categories, and there are many examples of festivals where these non-musical attractions create a lot of very worthwhile ‘noise’ and in that way garners public attention and investment.

Business

Festivals (and venues) are at the core of the business side of the entertainment industry. For us at The Unit – as a multiple business structure – from events management to talent booking, communications and marketing, among others, festivals are our bread-and-butter. They come with endless hours of hard work and input from talented and dedicated teams but in the end they are always worthwhile. Again I can use the example of ULTRA South Africa, among others. We love the idea of having ‘properties’ much like ULTRA South Africa is a ‘property’ or Corona Sunsets Festival is a property. You can finesse properties and build on them. That in turn helps to bring in the biggest artists and offer fans the best experiences. We need the business to make the business…

Joy

?Joy. Happiness. Fun… Shit, words not many of us throw around too much at the moment. Again, I’m not going to fall down the blackhole, but rather focus on the positive. Festivals bring a lot of people JOY! This, you must understand, transcends the music. A festival is a sum of its parts, it is a far greater experience than ‘just’ DJs and stages. It represents an opportunity to ‘let go’ … It is a chance to connect and meet new people and potentially move your direction in life into something new and exciting with someone or a bunch of people you never knew before. Take for example ULTRA South Africa. It is Africa’s largest electronic music festival and offers revellers the most unparalleled experience, featuring some of the hottest acts in the world on the most spectacular stages in both Cape Town and Johannesburg. 

Culture

There are few communities less biased and more inclusive than music-lovers.  Sure, within the different genres there can be differences, but when united at a festival the overriding feeling is one of love and happiness.  And surely, now more than ever, that’s something we all need.

Under the current global situation, we are not running ULTRA 2021 (or any other festivals for the foreseeable future), sad for sure, but we are working hard on our digital properties and activations and once ‘live’ is back in real life again, we’re excited to integrate it all into one unique experience. I hope to see you out there soon. 

What do you think? Anything you feel I’ve missed? I’m very interested to get some feedback in the comments. What do festivals mean to you?