EDM vs. Mixed Genre Music Festivals.

Festival-goers have a great choice of music festivals to attend every year, making it easy to select one that caters to their specific tastes. Some of the largest events either have a focus on EDM (Electronic Dance Music) or a variety of mixed genres. What are the key differences for operating each type of festival and what draws festival-goers to each type of event.

The draw to a particular style and genre of a music festival can be very different depending on a potential audience's profile. Attendees at an EDM festival can be fundamentally different from those that choose to attend a mixed genre festival. These differences are key for festival organisers to understand when they are considering their line up curation as well as operational differences and varying financial models.

Music Genres.
Although EDM can be split into hundreds of sub genres, the primary focus is on electronic music performed by DJs. In essence the music is more up tempo, typically 120bpm or more producing a high energy atmosphere with a focus on key EDM sub genres like House, Techno, Trance and Dubstep for example. The mixed genre festivals will feature a wide variety of musicians and artists typically comprising full bands and vocalists. Curated artists could come from any genre and may include a mix of Rock, Pop, Hip-Hop, Indie, Country, Jazz and even EDM too.

Audience Profiles.
EDM festivals attract what the media would call ‘ravers’ those who seek a high energy atmosphere combined with visual spectacles where the music extends late into the night. The EDM festival-goer is more likely to consume large quantities of alcohol, and performances are concentrated on fewer larger stages. Festival-goers opting for a mixed genre festival perhaps have a broader taste in music and are seeking exposure to new music experiences. For these people, the whole festival environment is more important than the music with copious opportunities to experience new diverse lifestyles, fashion, food and cultures. A mixed genre event will typically end earlier, and festival sites will be split into different zones with multiple stages each featuring a particular genre for example.

Operational Site Infrastructure.
Festival organisers that focus on an EDM event will put a high emphasis on one very large and elaborate stage where fantastical design is key. With themes like mythical creatures combined with big budget special effects that create visual saturation for audiences, the EDM festival environment is very immersive. Large LED screens, laser arrays, pyrotechnics and complex lighting rigs are features of most EDM festivals, Tomorrowland’s legendary stages are a typical example of the EDM festival set up. Conversely, the mixed genre festival will feature more traditional stages, usually in a standard concert structure format where the focus is on the ability to make fast changeovers between artists with varying instrument setup demands. The audio and acoustics need to cater for vocal clarity, dynamic range, and tonal accuracy over loudness. Lighting and special effects will play a supportive role to the main acts rather than being a focus. The mixed genre festival site will generally be split into identifiable zones that feature different genres as well as making allowances for other arts-based activities. Glastonbury is a typical example of the mixed genre festival site that offers mixed genre music combined with numerous other non-music activities.

Differences in Financial Revenue Models.
The EDM festival organiser will usually generate most of their revenue from ticket sales and where possible will partner with beverage providers to take a share of alcohol sales revenue which can be significant. Few sponsors get involved with EDM festivals because they see little opportunity to build relationships with festival-goers or to generate interest in their brands. The curation of DJs can be at a considerably lower fee than those demanded by a traditional performance artist, and this can help to reduce the overall running costs. A mixed genre festival relies heavily on lucrative sponsorship deals, and sponsors are always keen to get involved because they have greater opportunities to interact with target audiences who are more likely to be roaming a festival site. Festival-goers at mixed genre events will likely spend higher amounts on non-beverage items with diverse food options and a wide selection of arts and crafts products on offer. The curation costs for mixed genre events are generally higher with some headliner fees being exceptionally costly.

For festival organisers planning their next event using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, site planning, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

Image by LoggaWiggler via Pixabay

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