Authenticity is Fast Becoming the Most Important Aspect of Music Festivals.

As music festivals embrace new technology, brand endorsement and more extravagant production and curation, are they in danger of alienating festival-goers? If audiences are moving towards events that feel more genuine and emotionally meaningful, what are the implications for festival organisers creating their next event.

A music festival that is perceived as being authentic can drive festival-goer choice in a crowded market with the added benefits of increased loyalty and long-term commercial success. This is no longer a marketing concept, but if deployed well will become a strategic business asset for festival entities. An authentic festival can gain a competitive advantage when it has a clear identity with values that support culture and experiences in a genuine way without feeling manufactured. What are the key considerations for organisers who want to make their events feel more authentic for festival-goers.

Authenticity as a Driver.
Festival-goers are generally more aware of key issues impacting the environment and cultural diversity than they have ever been, and this raises their expectations of what an authentic experience is. Although events have become highly driven by digital technology, festival-goers can now distinguish between a genuinely authentic festival and one that is a marketing social media driven event. The values and ethos of a festival are key drivers for ticket purchase, especially if organisers can demonstrate that they are embracing great music experiences over pure profit. If a festival can be integrated with its surroundings in a sympathetic way rather than being created as a temporary ‘event bubble’, it can reinforce authenticity. All events are expected to be environmentally friendly, and sustainability policies with reporting are key elements of every music festival. However, with more cases of greenwashing taking place, a genuine and honest appraisal of an event’s sustainability credentials including achievements and ongoing challenges add to its authenticity.

Curation Process.
Festivals are always competing to curate the best headline artists to make their events more attractive to potential ticket buyers. Whilst this will always be the case, organisers should devote more effort to the curation process to build line-ups that reflect their values and festival-goer expectations. Curating more emerging talent and supporting local artists provides audiences with more varied experiences rather than booking artists based on an algorithm, for example. Organisers must understand the expectations of festival-goers and curate genres and artists that reflect what they perceive as matching their tastes and values. This approach can build long-term loyalty and future repeat attendance amongst ticket buyers.

Food and Beverage Vendors.
The traditional fast-food burger and fries from mobile vans are still prevalent at many music festivals and are easy to source for organisers. However, festival-goers are more discerning and have taken an interest in more options with variety that demonstrably supports independent local producers, for example. Organisers usually have a formal vendor application process and when assessing these, they should choose wisely. Vendors who can offer regional cuisine using ethically sourced organic ingredients should take priority over the fast-food option. The same ethos applies to beverage suppliers where preferences are to source local breweries for beer and independent ethical roasters for coffee, for example.

Community.
Building a festival audience into a community with a strong sense of belonging will make the event feel more authentic. Festival-goers feel they can identify with organisers who match their values where the same staff and volunteers are seen running the event year after year. Organisers can build long-term relationships with suppliers and vendors who return every year, providing a consistent service. In addition, festival organisers who build strong ties with local communities providing employment and vendor opportunities help to expand the sense of community beyond just the attending festival-goers.

Experiences.
The rise of the mega music festival with high-cost extravagant production, stage dressing, pyrotechnics, large LED screens, celebrity appearances and expanded VIP zones may have given events a manufactured feel. However, while these elements are now expected, festival-goers are increasingly looking for emotional experiences like atmosphere, a sense of community, personal connections, storytelling, and shared memories, for example. Festival-goers have become wary of staged experiences, artificial branding, repetitive content and manufactured viral moments. Genuine unscripted interactions can generate stronger engagement because they are credible and feel authentic.

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 Caleb Oquendo via Pexels

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