Music festivals: a high-risk business | FT Film

Festivals were already a precarious business, but after a record year in 2019 the coronavirus pandemic brought outdoor events to a halt. The FT talks to organisers, bands, and stage hands to find out whether they can bounce back.

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[StrangeAttractor]

An old mate of mine is a founding member of the Outlook, Horizons, Dimension and a couple of other summer festivals. But the same crew also put on regular nights in several UK cities. That's a proper business plan, spreading risk and maximizing the productivity of all employees. Resting all your hopes on one festival seems like madness to me.

[hwklyuz]

This is very good analysis. I've been a Live Music Concerts/Festivals organiser for over thirty years. True, it's not for the faint hearted.

But I do also think that the world NEEDS Music. Music lifts Spirits, makes life better.

Farmers too go through huge risks, so do other people in life.

Greetings from Uganda 🇺🇬️

[steviev]

I organize festivals in Montreal and it’s definitely the hardest, craziest and most stressful thing you can ever do but I still love it

[pfowler]

The sad reality of the events industry is that you need to have the capital to be able to sustain a few losses, because it's impossible to guarantee success, especially in the UK where the weather plays a massive in role in how much money the bars and other traders make. It's the main reason why all of the major festivals are done by companies like AEG and Live Nation.

[gnardawgyt]

Great documentary. Really appreciate all the interviews. Provides wonderful context.

[robert]

Nice interesting piece. Big thank you to everyone evolved in putting on festivals so that we can come along and have a great time! ❤🎉

[ferrenolmsted]

Live in the US and worked about 6 festivals this summer while living in my van. So grateful to have been even a small part of what they do.

[Giftedtib]

Long live festivals! Patron for life. Music is the answer

[joshmitchell]

Great film, Standon Calling is brilliant little festival to attend.

[tamsinrhayward]

Well done Standon - great small festival & interesting video to get an insight into the covid impact & tight margins.

[MayorSom]

I love small and non mainstreamish concerts & festivals.

[BlackRootsUNLIMITED]

This is very good analysis. I've been a Live Music Concerts/Festivals organiser for over thirty years. True, it's not for the faint hearted.

But I do also think that the world NEEDS Music. Music lifts Spirits, makes life better.

Farmers too go through huge risks, so do other people in life.

Greetings from Uganda 🇺🇬👊🏿🖤❤️

[titotheeventfreak]

I just discovered this and it’s such an helpful documentary.

[romanvitek]

Any IB students here getting ready for paper 1? :D

[alvaromedinagarcia]

Great video. Here in Chile we have a few imported festivals (Lolla, Womad), but I just realized watching this video that our version of UK's summer festivals are the free, one day "festivals" that throw the municipalities in the summer, specially in elections season. Is one of the two big income sources for the musicians and music workers (the other being the national festivities in september). I wonder if people accustomed to attend free concerts would be willing (or even able) to pay a commercial festival.

[YuMUbLdIT]

I'm on the side of festivals, but I would suggest use of a source other than the Association of Independent Festivals for an estimate of the contribution to the UK economy and employment. Perhaps HM Treasury or the Department for Culture, Media and Sport?

Otherwise, fascinating report. Really excellent!

I suppose during the pandemic, you would have to assure customers they can receive a full refund if they test positive for COVID-19 (ahead of the event) to prevent them attending while carrying the virus; which would then necessesitate a doubling or tripling of the standard ticket prices to offset expected losses. And, of course, few people in festival-going demographics could afford that.

[manavmishra]

I love music festivals especially Tomorrowland from India 🇮🇳

[elvergalarga]

Really appreciate hearing the numbers and percentages

[LightestEvening]

As someone recently very interested in being involved in a festival like a years ago, seeing this now makes me very hopeful and inspired of it all!! Even though this showed many hardships these independent festival companies had to go through, I want to be in a strong role with a music festival and want to find more of these opportunities. Right now I am figuring out which way I should narrow down what I can contribute, because I do find the photography/videography, sound mixing, stage set up, music performance, and DJing to all be an amazing part for festivals and I can see myself doing any of those

[icefire]

Shout out to Montebello Rockfest Canada, the best festival I've ever been to.