What is a music festival

A music festival is an organized event that features live performances from different bands and artists, often from similar genres. It is traditionally held outdoors in a large and spacious area jam-packed with people who share the same love and passion for music, with smaller festivals commonly indoors. Some music festivals are organized for the purpose of raising funds for a charitable cause, some are for up and coming bands and artists wanting to break further into the music scene, and others host international acts to hundreds of thousands of fans.

A driver for exposure

Music festivals typically have higher attendance than your average show, with fans coming from a variety of places to see their favorite artists perform live in one place. For emerging artists, this serves as a great avenue to showcase their talents, be exposed to a larger crowd, gather new fans, and eventually get to the next step in their career. This can serve as an anchor to start a buzz around a band, and you never know who’s watching! There are many bands and artists who’s big break was achieved off the back of a strong live performance.

Draws music lovers together

Whether its artists socialising with other bands and fans, or even fans meeting fellow fans, it all boils down to a mutual love for music. It’s about bringing people together with a common goal to enjoy and celebrate music. Music festivals unite; providing a fun environment, and a chance to network.

Get heard by the right person

Landing the opportunity to perform at a music festival doesn’t come easily! The promoter for the event needs to know you can bring value to their event. So, the bigger the festival, the bigger the act needs to be to secure a slot. The more work you put into climbing the ladder, the more fans you’ll gain, and in turn, demand for your live performance. The majority of bigger festivals are swarming with music industry professionals and A&R representatives, providing you and your music with a rare chance to truly showcase what you’re about. 

Help grow your fan base

As previously mentioned, music festivals are often organised with a genre theme in mind, so if you’re playing one, chances are the other bands are from a similar cut to you. This can be extra beneficial to a breakthrough artist, as one good performance could be the turning point in generating a lot of new fans. This in turn results in more sales and momentum for the band to succeed.

Become better artists

Going to a music festival can be an inspirational experience, seeing how the pro’s play, carry themselves on stage and interact with the crowd. This can be a motivational factor for bands and artists at any level, encouraging the desire to strive to become better entertainers and musicians. 

A chance of meeting other artists and build connections

Bands and artists get the opportunity to build friendship with other artists whom they might want to collaborate with in the future. Whether this be a tour, a feature, or anything in between! The music industry can be tough, but it is also a playground for networking with like-minded individuals. These are a few of the prime advantages for a band or artist when playing a music festival. There is no better place in the world to network with those in the music industry on a face-to-face basis, and with music festivals being the most sought after music events in the world, they provide the best live platform for developing a new and loyal fanbase.