Replacing a Music Festival Headliner at Short Notice.

A key draw for music festival ticket sales and festival-goer interest in an event is the line-up announced by organisers. A big focus of any line-up announcement will be the expected headliners that have been curated for the event, but if one of these cancels before the festival, what processes do organisers implement to rectify the situation.

Having a headliner cancel their appearance at a festival can happen at any time leading up to the live dates, from months to days and even hours before their scheduled performance. This becomes a stressful situation for organisers but with careful planning and contingency processes using a replacement headliner the situation can be diffused. The reasons for cancellation are varied and can include an artist’s sickness, schedule clashes, and even political differences, for example. What are the key components to building a contingency plan that mitigates headliner cancellation and curates a ready replacement.

The Importance of the Festival Headliner.
The headliners announced for any music festival will always be the key driver for ticket purchases and therefore form an essential part of the entity's revenue generation. Great headliners are also important to attract high-value sponsors as they give the festival brand equity which helps to secure lucrative deals. The headliners curated help to define the festival's brand and generate great media coverage at no cost. In addition, organisers can also get exposure to headliners' own fan base, giving them access to larger audiences for targeting ticket sales.

Contingency Plans.
A good curation process will work at getting the best line-up at the lowest cost with the bulk of any budget going on headliners selected. Curation directors will usually create a priority list of artists they want, and negotiations take place with artist’s management teams early in the planning process to secure confirmed bookings. A backup list of replacements artists should also be built to allow for future cancellations along with a contingency budget to secure ‘reserve’ headliners at short notice. The curation team should monitor the activity and availability of reserve headliner acts right up to live dates so that they have a quick solution to headliner replacement should a cancellation occur.

Contracts and Fees.
Having a comprehensive contract with a headline artist for appearance at a festival can help to deter potential cancellation. This would normally include severe financial penalties should the artist cancel acting as a deterrent. Should a headliner cancel anyway this needs to be correctly documented and referred to the organisers legal team for consideration of consequences. In some cases, there may be implications for insurance policies and coverage which may include clauses relating to a headliner cancellation limiting what an organiser can claim. Once a replacement headliner has been secured, a new contract needs to be agreed and fast tracked which may require making full payment of fees rather than a deposit especially if they are booked at short notice.

New Headliner Logistics.
When a headliner cancels and is replaced by a new artist, there will be implications for operational logistics because timelines are often squeezed. The new artist will need to submit their tech riders and setup specifications; stage managers or producers will need to manage time slots and set times to fit in with existing performances. In addition, organisers will need to coordinate the new artists' travel and accommodation arrangements along with hospitality riders and accreditation processes for crew and artist passes.

Public Communications.
Many organisers do not have a great reputation for managing the announcements of headliner cancellations, so the process needs to be agreed as part of contingency plans. The timing of any announcement is critical, and organisers should ensure that nothing is leaked to the media before a coordinated statement can be released. This will include both the festival organiser and the artists themselves, or any other promoter involved. It is essential that the replacement headliner, hopefully of equal status, is secured prior to announcements. Once a common statement has been agreed by all parties, the cancellation announcement can be made, usually in line with naming the replacement headliner. This can help balance the bad news with good news to mitigate any adverse public opinion. Announcements should be simultaneous across all media channels, and ticket buyers updated directly via email. There will always be some backlash from ticket buyers, some of whom may request refunds, but if the replacement is of equal standing, this should be minimal. However, the impact of refunds should be closely monitored to understand any financial implications for ticket sales revenue. Whether the replacement headliner is comparable or viewed as a downgrade can be a subjective matter for both organisers and festival-goers. Finding the right balance can help protect the festival's reputation in the long run.

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 HubertPhotographer via Pixabay

<< Back to articles