Outside the United States Americana themed festivals continue to grow in popularity despite remaining relatively niche events. What is the attraction and appeal of these festivals that makes them endure and prosper in the face of increased competition from mainstream festivals.

Having a forum for music festival fans is a great way increase engagement with existing and potential ticket buyers. Creating an official festival forum can help control the narrative, topics and discussions about the event. What are the benefits of a festival’s own forum and how can organisers get started.  

The large fees paid to a headline act appearing at a large well-known music festival can sometimes attract media attention. Are their fees increasing and widening the gap between these lucky few artists and emerging talent? What's causing this disparity and are there any solutions.

The introduction of low emission zones (LEZ’s) in many European cities in recent years could have numerous implications for event organisers who choose to use city venues. Where are these LEZ’s and what should festival and event organisers know to minimise the financial impact of these changes.

Good coverage in relevant media can boost awareness and interest in a music festival ultimately leading to higher demand for attendance and ticket sales. Festival organisers manage their PR in various ways depending on the resources available. How can a smaller up and coming music festival maximise their coverage with limited resources.

Some popular music festivals enjoy the benefit of quickly selling out as soon as tickets go on sale. Unfortunately, this only applies to the large most well-known festivals and many smaller events can struggle to sell their tickets. Running a prize draw competition can boost interest in an event and generate increased ticket sales.

An often-overlooked aspect of organising any music festival is the allocation of meal tickets for crew and artists. A hungry and disappointed artist may not perform well so organisers should ensure they have robust plans in place for catering arrangements and the allocation of meal tickets well in advance of the live event dates.

Booking and scheduling the backline equipment that is used at every music festival is an essential part of the event logistics planning. What are the trends organisers should be considering this year when making decisions about the suppliers and specifications of their backline equipment for future events. 

Most open-air music festivals take place in countryside locations and farmland where the impact on local wildlife can be significant. What measures can music festival organisers take to manage and minimise the impact of their event on the local wildlife and environment to maintain biodiversity.

There has been much comment in the media recently about the large rises in the costs of music festival tickets. Despite the seemingly high prices for attending a 3-day music festival in 2023 they probably still represent excellent value for money when compared to the cost of attending a one-off concert. 

Music festival sites can look messy and unkempt after several days and this does not convey a positive image to festival-goers. With some festivals receiving thousands of visitors keeping the site looking fresh and clean can be a challenge and is a common criticism by visitors who often complain of piles of rubbish and safety hazards.

The events sector is a thriving industry that is making a good come back after the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. This opens up plenty of opportunities for those working in the industry and is particularly suited to those who prefer working on a temporary contract basis. What is it like working as a temporary contractor in the events industry.

Many hotels and resorts are blessed with generous grounds, and they can make the perfect location for a music festival. In the current tough economic climate, it makes sense for hotel owners to utilise the space they have to generate much needed income. How can these venue owners create unique events that attract a ticket buying audience. 

One of the biggest challenges this year for music festival organisers are the rising costs for everything associated with putting on their event. Despite good financial planning some costs continue to increase. Organisers could consider using their tickets as an asset currency to help reduce expenditure.

It has become increasingly common to find well-known comedians performing at numerous music festivals every year. As well as providing an excellent platform for live comedy performances a music festival audience also gets to experience more varied entertainment which can enhance the experience for a multi-day event.

A football stadium can make an ideal venue for a city-based music festival and the UK has at least one in every city and large town. What are the advantages and disadvantages for festival organisers in considering a football stadium as a potential venue for any forthcoming events.

Many music festivals take place in remote locations with a temporary infrastructure but this should never prevent all people from being able to attend and enjoy the event. Every festival provides information about accessibility on their site and how they make the event inclusive for all but what measures can organisers take to improve accessibility.

Sponsorship deals are the lifeblood of most music festivals providing a significant portion of their overall revenue. The move to more environmentally sustainable events and the reduction in their carbon footprint makes the selection of appropriate green sponsors more challenging for organisers.

Every music festival relies on volunteers to help make the events successful and run smoothly. Organisers have different methods of calculating the number of volunteers they will need and this can vary between a few hundred and over a thousand. How can organisers recruit the numbers of volunteers they need and what data should they collect from applications.

There are thousands of music festivals to choose from every year in just about every location covering a wide variety of music genres. For the adventurous music festival-goer who wants to try something a little different there are an appealing range of festivals that take place on islands around the world.

In 2022 there was a flurry of activity in the streamed music sector with new product launches from both Spotify and Apple. These leading players in the music streaming business have a new competing App called Instafest that is growing in popularity and allows users to curate their own dream music festival line-up.

With a focus on sustainability and a reduction in the carbon footprint of music festivals some organisers are trying different initiatives to make their events carbon neutral. What options are currently available for festival organisers keen to make their events greener and reduce their carbon emissions.

Technology has enabled the creation of websites that are increasingly user friendly and interactive. The music festival website is a key platform for organisers to communicate to a wide-ranging audience interested in a particular festival. This invariable means the collection of personal data and therefore it is a legal requirement that the website contain a privacy policy.

The Safe Spaces Now is becoming a familiar fixture on music festival sites throughout the UK but there are still only about 100 events that have taken up this campaign. What should festival organisers be doing to embrace this initiative and help keep women and those from marginalised groups safe during a musical festival.

Selling vendor pitch spaces at music festivals is a vital element of the revenue that festival organisers receive. What is happening with pitch space costs at music festivals in 2023 and what options are open to festival organisers to sell all available pitch spaces and for vendors to achieve a reasonable return on their investment in a pitch space.

Any large-scale UK music festival will probably be subject to multiple site inspections at various times during the planning and build phase as well as during the event itself. When being assessed for the event licence application a proposed festival site may require inspections and visits from emergency services and health and safety inspectors.

The use of narcotics and attending music festivals have forever been synonymous with each other. This presents festival organisers with challenges in managing festival-goer safety and they must strike a balance between security and control of illegal substances coming on-site against the provision of support and medical facilities to handle any health issues.

There are numerous music festivals that are family and child friendly where children of all ages are welcome. Attending a music festival with children can present challenges for parents and guardians but if the festival organisers provide sufficient facilities and child focused activities they should be kept occupied and enjoy the event as much as the adults. 

Having good up-to-date information about every aspect of a festival is essential for the smooth operation of the event. Providing information about the festival that is easily accessible will make festival-goers feel comfortable about their attendance safe in the knowledge that every eventuality has been catered for.

The coronavirus pandemic and restrictions on live events had a dramatic effect on the finances and survival of numerous festival organisations and this had a knock-on impact on suppliers to the industry too. Many suppliers now feel nervous about receiving payment from festival organisers and the result has been an increase in the size of deposits requested.