The consumption of hard seltzers is expected to take off in the UK’s festival season this year having seen huge growth in the United States in recent years. It’s possible that the big alcoholic drinks sponsors will be pushing their new brands in this new and developing category of drink which seems to appeal to most music festival audiences.

As festival organisations grow over time many have expanded by creating more editions with additional locations and dates. Whilst managing a single festival event during the summer festival season is hard enough there are advantages and challenges when expanding to a multi-event format.

Inflation is a developing story in the media in 2022 with many economists predicting inflationary pressure on world economies. This will likely impact all parts of society and will have a knock-on effect on the music festival sector with organisers seeing rising costs and a subsequent need to increase ticket prices.

Depending on the country the current restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic appear to vary widely. From fully open to fully closed it is a confusing time for music festival organisers and ticket buyers to fully understand. Keeping up to date on the COVID-19 protocol status and communicating this in a succinct and clear manner is going to be crucial for the 2022 festival season.

An essential part of any planning for a music festival is incorporating local emergency services in the process. Involvement of the emergency services is a key aspect to any music festival and forms part of organiser's obligations to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone on a festival site whether they are staff, contractors, artists, volunteers or festival-goers.  

Sponsorship revenue is an essential part of almost every music festival. With many international brands impacted by the coronavirus pandemic they have been re-evaluating their investment in festivals. What are the likely trends and changes to music festival sponsorship that could happen this year.

The use of technology in the music festival industry has been advancing more rapidly over recent years with the aim of making events more efficient. As festival-goers become more technology hungry and music festivals more competitive how is the merging of technology and innovation impacting on the modern-day music festival.  

When the entire music festival sector was forced to close between May 2020 and mid 2021 many experienced professionals working in the industry found alternative employment. This may potentially hit the return of music festivals scheduled to run in 2022, what will be the impact on music festivals this year and are there any solutions. 

Timing is everything when it comes to making key announcements about upcoming music festivals. In a market where festival organisers are competing for ticket sales revenue the timing of any key announcements can help maximise ticket sales revenue at the right time. What are the factors festival organisers need to consider about making announcements.  

When looking through numerous music festival websites visitors are usually presented with the same format of content. To make a website standout and generate more organic traffic with increased user engagement organisers could consider creating their own blog as an integral part of their website content. 

Having a great plan for a music festival can help make it a success and a key part of this planning process is the marketing plan. Marketing can take many forms and most organisers spread their marketing budget across multiple media channels but the role of social media influencers has become an increasingly important part of the overall marketing mix.

With much uncertainty still hanging over the music festival sector because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic around the world it is essential that festival organisers make timely decisions on whether their event should go ahead or be cancelled. What are the critical factors that organisers should consider when making these decisions?

When searching for a new venue and site for a music festival it is essential to get potential sites professionally surveyed. Building the infrastructure and assessing every aspect of the music festival should be meticulously planned well in advance using people who really understand the logistical challenges of holding a music festival in a remote location.

Revenue from merch sales is becoming an increasingly important profit centre for music festivals and is growing in importance in an industry known for its very tight margins. The demand for merch from festival-goes continues to be high but what are the key steps festival organisers can take to maximise sales. 

Whether a music festival tales places in a remote rural location or a city centre park it is important to take full consideration of the local community when planning the event. Full consultation and involvement with local issues will help to enhance the festival's reputation and ensure a long-term relationship with the community to secure future festivals.  

Developed countries in Europe and North America have largely adopted cashless payments and digital ticketing for events. Almost all festivals taking place in these regions now only accept online digital payments for tickets which are issued to buyers in the form of QR codes which allows them easy access to the event and the issuing of RFID wristbands.

There are various factors to consider when assessing copyright laws with regards to music festivals and it can be a complex subject to understand. All music is protected by copyright no matter who plays or reproduces it, equally a music festival organisation and its brand is also protected by copyright laws. 

Every music festival relies heavily on the army of companies that provide rental of backline equipment to them every year. What can festival organisers expect when dealing with a a backline rental company and how have they fared during the coronavirus pandemic to be ready for what looks like being a busy festival season in 2022.

The entire music industry relies on a constant feed of new talent to keep the sector healthy but with so many new up and coming performance artists trying to get a break this can be challenging. With recording deals few and far between and the financial rewards reduced most artists and musicians now focus on live performances and music festivals to earn a living.  

Despite the coronavirus pandemic having an impact on the music festival sector new festivals still get announced on a regular basis. Why would anyone want to launch a new music festival in an already overcrowded market where margins are known to be extremely tight even for well-established festival organisers.