The last two years has been a turning point for the old record labels and recording contracts given to artists. It's now so easy for any performance artist to record and distribute their material it makes record labels obsolete. Combined with the fact that nobody buys music anymore the importance of the live event and particularly the music festival has become vital for an artist’s success.

Sponsors make up the bulk of contribution revenue for most festivals and have become an essential part of these events. Ticket sales revenue rarely covers the costs involved in hosting a music festival and organisers rely on revenue form sponsors and vendors to make a profit or for non-profit organisers to raise funds for charities. 

Many music festivals consistently sell out their maximum capacity which unfortunately can lead to organisers having an ambivalent attitude towards their ticket buying customers. With the popularity of music festivals increasing over time the competition will likely increase making it more important to provide the best possible experience for ticket buyers.    

It's part of every music festival organisers responsibilities to ensure environmental sustainability which is a key part of their event management. After years of complaints from local communities and other concerned organisations about damage to the countryside or public parks after a music festival the clean-up operation post event is a vital part of every music festival. 

Depending where are you are in the world cruise ship music festivals are ether common place or something that is completely new. The idea of running a music festival on a cruise ship whilst touring around beautiful destinations for several days or a week is quite compelling but where are these cruise ship music festivals happening? 

Scotland is not the first place people think of when it comes to festivals but the country actually hosts over 200 of some of the most diverse and interesting festivals. With a steep cultural history, friendly and legendary hospitality Scotland is a great place to visit along with stunning scenery and a festival scene that is certainly thriving.

Although PSY Trance as a music genre has been around for some time it’s only over the last ten years that it has emerged into more mainstream popularity. The emergence of the PSY Trance dedicated genre music festival is testament to the growing popularity. Where did this popularity come from and will it remain a niche genre? 

No music festival is complete without its advertising poster, it’s something that has been around for decades that once served a slightly different purpose. In the 1950’s and 1960’s festival organisers used printed posters and flyers to advertise their events featuring well designed graphically impactful images and a list of artists appearing. 

Whenever someone checks out a music festival it’s sometimes interesting to see who is behind that festival and look into the history of that event over the years. Too many festivals seem to hide behind an anonymous shield of their website and social media channels with content and news magically appearing from the ‘organisers’     

Having been restricted for over a year many festival goers are itching to get back to the festival scene. Most music festivals in the UK have moved their dates to late summer with plenty of potential for festival congestion over the shortened season and so event goers are going to be spoilt for choice.  

With many large-scale music festivals confirming dates for late summer 2021 what protocols are likely to be required, either mandatory or recommended. There are several pre-entry screening solutions available for event organisers to consider, each with varying implications on cost, time delays and crowd management 

Since the announcement by the British government about the timeline for opening up the UK post COVID-19 the date of 21st June has been a key focus for potentially holding live music events. How are music festival organisers dealing with these timelines to bring their festivals back to life in 2021. 

With some of the larger music festivals recruiting several hundred volunteers the task of managing them on-site during the festival can be challenging. What are the steps organisers can take to mitigate any potential issues and at the same time give volunteers a fair balance of work and free time?

There are numerous festivals that base themselves on a single site where capacity is almost unlimited. These large scale festivals are often based in remote locations with limited infrastructure, to overcome these issues some festival organisers opt for more urban location but split over multiple venues to cope with audience numbers. 

The jam band phenomenon has been around for some time and gained popularity in the 1960’s with The Grateful Dead by combining numerous genre styles with long improvised ‘jam’ sets. These grassroots festivals continue to be popular followed by a core group of fans and devoted followers. 

A significant number of live events from large scale festivals to smaller locally themed events take place annually in many countries. These events are organised by a small number of dedicated events staff either volunteering their time for free or within auspices of a local government organisation committed to providing a service to the local community. 

When stage pyrotechnics are used as part of any live show it will add a special wow factor adding to the experience and atmosphere for event goers. Incorporating any kind of pyrotechnics into a performance is not just simply using fireworks it’s a complex planning process that requires experience and technical ability. 

It can be daunting to manage any substantial crowd whether it's a live event at an indoor venue with finite numbers or an outdoor mega festival with over 100,000 visitors. Fortunately there is professional help available for any event organisers who don’t have the experience or resources to manage such large volumes of visitors.  

A key to providing the best quality service in a safe environment in the events industry is the quality of the training given to staff. Whether they are contractors, working for a supplier company or an event volunteer what training and certification is the most important and relevant?          

During the current coronavirus pandemic, the support and advice from industry associations has played a crucial role for anyone involved in the live events industry. Some have been more proactive and vocal than others but overall, it has been a time for members to really benefit from their membership.