Have festivals become too commercial?

As the festival season comes to a close it's worth reflecting that festivals used to be a place for music, art, creativity, but in recent years they’ve also developed into a massive marketing opportunity for brands.?

While the smaller festivals remain relatively untouched, the likes of Electric Picnic, Longitude and Forbidden Fruit have multiple brand partners. From drinks sponsors to supermarket sponsors to even official car partners.?

Festivals draw in massive numbers; EP attendance figures have grown exponentially since it’s launch in 2024 from 10,000 to 70,000 in 2023. Over a weekend, brands have an opportunity to reach a huge audience. Many of them falling under the hard-to-reach younger demographic.??

Festivals are a great space for Brands to reach new audiences, and studies show that audiences are more receptive to advertising when they’re in a positive mindset. So targeting people when they’re in a carefree environment is a great way to build brand likability.?

But are Irish Festivals in danger of reaching a saturation point with sponsorship? There is a fine line between brands enhancing the experience for fans and festivals becoming solely commercial opportunities. Looking at Coachella, which is one of the most well-known festivals in America – it’s recently been dubbed the ‘Influencer Olympics’. Over the years has developed into one big branding conference and the appeal of the festival is diminishing.??

Coachella started in 1999 as a music and arts festival in the Coachella Valley, California. Like many festivals the headliners featured were often up and coming indie and punk bands. Tickets were cheap and attendance was small, they didn’t turn a profit in the first few years. Flashforward to 2012 the festival was expanded to run over 2 weekends and in 2015 the festival sold out in under 40 minutes. It’s become a mecca for brands to capitalize on it’s massive audience. Celebrities and influencers flock to the dessert every April. Brands compete to build the biggest event space, who can draw in the more influencers and generate the biggest buzz over social media. The music from this “music festival” has become less talked about.?

Online fashion retailer Revolve, had what was once the considered the blueprint of Festival Marketing, pioneering influencer driven fashion campaigns. They invited flocks of influencers to the festival, decked out in Revolve exclusive brands and created spaces where spaces where celebrities and influencers could create picture perfect content.

The brand became synonymous with festival fashion and their brand partners set the trend for not only Coachella, but festivals across the world. However in 2022 the brand faced backlash online for it’s exclusive, invite-only “RevolveFest”. The event epitomized the festival’s shift from a grassroots music experience to a playground for elite influencers and brands.

While they had hosted similar events in previous years the pandemic may have created an environment of “them and us”. People have become more aware when they’re being marketed too and have begun to reject this.? Coachella went from selling out in under an hour in 2015 – to not selling out in 2023 and again in 2024.?

On this side of the Atlantic, Glastonbury have managed to maintain its authenticity and avoid mass commercialization like so many festivals. The organisers are adamant that the festival won’t become tainted with brand sponsors and instead embraced a small number of key partners that align with the festival’s ethos such as environmentally conscious brands and charitable organisations. This way they’ve managed to preserve their integrity while still securing the financial support needed to keep running. By selecting commercial partners that contribute positively to the festival experience and keeping with Glastonbury’s values it ensures that attendees can enjoy the benefits of sponsorship without distracting from music.???

Looking at Irish Festivals, some of the best brand partnerships have added value to festival goers’ experiences. This year Bacardi was noticeably absent from the lineup and people weren’t shy about voicing their disappointment. Casa Bacardi was more than an opportunity for them to showcase their products, it become a staple destination at Electric Picnic; guaranteed great music and a place to hang out outside the main stages.

By sponsoring event stages and creating hangout spaces, brands can create experiences at festivals that feel authentic and where audiences are more than happy to engage. But festival activations don’t need to be large scale experiential activations.

Brands can activate in smaller ways to help create meaningful and memorable experiences. Supermarket Brands can provide much needed supplies for camping and beauty brands can provide onsite beauty parlours and shower facilities.

By identifying the pain points of festivals brands can provide helpful solutions and build brand likability. Something as small as a branded rain poncho, to free phone charging points. There are so many touchpoints that brands can play in and by keeping sponsorship activations relevant and helpful you avoid turning the experience into something that feels overly commercial.?

Leah Fitzpatrick