Who is Responsible for Designing Music Festival Themes.

For larger well known music festivals the theme design and stage construction can have an amazing visual impact. The artistic execution of festival themes are usually much anticipated by festival-goers, artists, sponsors and vendors. Who is responsible for the creation of these themes and the accompanying stage designs?

The most fantastical stage designs and themes are usually found at EDM genre festivals like Tomorrowland. Some large multi genre festivals like Glastonbury however, sometimes take a more conservative subdued approach. Most themes and concepts are not the idea of any single individual but are more likely to be a team effort involving a range of people and organisations. 

Festival Organising Team. 
Large festival entities will have a management team that consists of artistic creative directors and producers along with design and marketing teams. All these individuals collaborate to discuss and agree on themes for future events. Key considerations in creating a theme will include the festival's identity, target audience and overall objectives. Once a theme has been agreed it is the design team that may work up visual concepts that meet organisers requirements. In addition, any theme and design concepts need to be thoroughly costed to fit the budget allocated. The organiser's management team will have responsibility for delivering the theme concept and design into workable construction in a timely manner and within budget. 

External Agencies. 
Not every festival entity has large internal teams and there may be a need for external agencies or creative consultants to be commissioned. They will work in a similar way to an advertising agency by taking a brief from their client (the festival organisers) and working up proposed creative concepts along with costs and timing involved. 

Creative Execution.
Whoever is tasked with the creation of the theme design and implementation will need to report on a regular basis to key decision makers. The creative execution will include all elements like stage designs, lighting shows, artistic installations and immersive experiences. All designs need to match the festival's identity, brand and logo presentation. The new theme and creative design also need to be reflected across all activities like marketing campaigns, social media posts, merchandise and the physical attributes of the event itself for a consistent approach. 

Collaboration. 
Aside from the internal collaboration between various teams and commissioned external agencies, organisers should also work closely with key stakeholders. This can provide valuable input to the design process and provides an early insight into the proposed future theme and concepts. Artists will be key in the creative process as many may want to base the presentation of their performance on the selected theme. Involving sponsors and partners can be important if a theme links to issues important to them which may include sustainability or social causes for example. In some instances, organisers may seek input from festival-goers by using research focus groups as a check that they are going in the right direction. All collaboration with these groups should be done at an early stage in the concept and design process so that any issues are highlighted early where remedial action can be taken. 

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.

Image by Lukas Rodriguez via Pexels

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