Trending in Music Festivals for 2023.

There has been a certain amount of turmoil in the music festival industry over the last 3 years. The coronavirus pandemic virtually closed the industry down for 2 years only to emerge into a world of rising costs supplier shortages and an uncertain economic environment. What trends should festival organisers be considering for 2023 to help them ride these storms.

The return of music festivals in 2022 has largely been successful with many events being sold out thanks to high demand. Unfortunately, there have also been a number of smaller festivals that have not survived due to a variety of reasons. To ensure survival into 2023 there are some key trends that organisers should focus on to secure their event into the future. 

Finances. 
With inflation far from under control, higher interest rates and a looming global recession having tight financial planning and control will be the number one factor that can impact the music festival business. The timing and pricing of festival tickets will be key, launch too early and the ticket revenue will lose value over time against rising costs or, launch too late at a higher price and risk losing sales. Negotiating with suppliers and contractors will need to be robust as costs may rise significantly between now and the festival dates, agree prices and pay deposits now to gain favourable future pricing.

Sustainability. 
Having transparent sustainability credentials is trending amongst potential festival-goers as a key consideration in their ticket purchase decision. Having a sustainability policy is not enough and organisers need to show demonstrable progress in their sustainability efforts. Clear communication of what has been implemented and the impact of any changes is essential and may include waste management and use of cleaner energy for example.

Data and Security.
Using data for analysis and planning is becoming more important as technology and sophistication rapidly changes how data is captured and used. Understanding how data collected can influence future actions is becoming a crucial element in the planning process and makes marketing and advertising more cost effective. The heavy reliance on data has risks too as the rise in cybercrime can potentially have a devastating impact on a festival organisation. Proactive protection of critical data and infrastructure should be a rising priority for organisers.

Safety. 
Despite advances in planning to make music festivals safe for all visitors there continue to be incidents causing loss of life. Organisers have made great advances in making their events safe but there continue to be risks. The process of implementing safety precautions needs to continue but for many music festivals there will always be an element of balance between freedom and restriction. 

Technology.
Most music festivals now operate cashless events and all tickets are purchased using online ticketing companies. The reliance on mobile devices and installation of remote site telecoms towers will continue to be theme for most festival organisers. Festival sites will likely become more immersive with advances in technology providing the platform for new festival-goer experiences. The same rapid technological advances in backline equipment will also add to an improved sound quality experience.

There may be troubled times ahead but with some robust planning and savvy financial management music festival organisers should be able to succeed in 2023 and beyond.

For festival organisers planning their events 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, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

Photo by Rahul Pandit via Pexels

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