Naming a New Music Festival.

Every year new music festivals launch with a mixture of independent and corporate organising entities. New festivals usually aim to create something new or different where curated artists have wide appeal to generate ticket sales in a location that is convenient. Naming a new music festival is not straightforward and requires a thorough thought-out process.

Large corporate live event operators will have deep pockets and can employ professional branding agencies to thoroughly research and find a great name, brand and identity for a new festival. For smaller operators they may have to go through this process without professional help. A well-chosen name should evoke the spirit of the proposed event and can influence festival-goer perception and marketability. What are the key processes to consider when naming a new music festival? 

Target Audience and Identity. 
It is key to fully understand who the target audience is for a proposed new music festival and understanding demographics can help to steer naming considerations. Age groups, wealth and family status can all be factors in determining the style and tone of language used. Other factors in determining the event identity will inevitably include the music genres and corresponding fan base demographics along with the location (urban, city or remote for example). If the festival is to be linked to a particular cause (climate, sustainability, charitable causes) this can also influence potential names. 

Branding. 
The festival name must convey the brand and identity of the event in an easy-to-use memorable format. Any names being considered should be short, easy to spell and pronounce. The name should convey the intended vibe and atmosphere of the festival which can be highlighted by expertly designed graphics and logos for example. The name and associated graphic designs should be impactful and easily recognisable. 

Location Based Names. 
Historically many music festivals simply used their location as a key part of the name (Glastonbury, Donington and Woodstock for example). Newer festivals are less likely to use a location in their name sometimes due to regular festival site moves because of potential licencing restrictions. However, more generic use of locations like lakes, mountains, parks, forests and beaches can help convey the theme of the event. This allows the event to move to alternative locations in the same area without becoming irrelevant. 

Genre Based Names. 
Genre appeal is often linked to audience and fan base demographics so incorporating the genre in the name can instantly identify the type of festival so adding words like rock, electronic, dance, folk or jazz may be appropriate. However, if the proposed genres are mixed and organisers don’t want to pigeonhole their event into a specific genre avoiding genre associated words is recommended. 

Abstract and Emotional Based Names. 
If avoiding location and genre-based words a more abstract or emotional word may work better and have the advantage of quickly creating an atmospheric image to potential audiences. Some organisers have created new words or expressions that do not exist in any dictionary and on occasions can be word play using seemingly unrelated words (Tomorrowland). Using nature or season inspired words can also help define an event’s atmosphere. 

Selection and Research. 
Having brainstormed a number of potential names a short list should be produced and then thoroughly researched with target audiences to see which ones resonate. The short-listed names need to be checked against existing festivals along with the availability of online URLs and social media identities. Additional checks should also be made of trademark availability and where possible avoid names that are too similar to existing festivals which may lead to audience confusion and in extreme cases legal action. (A small-scale Welsh music festival originally named Cowchella was forced to rebrand after receiving a legal complaint from the organisers of California’s music festival Coachella). 

For festival organisers planning their next event 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, site planning, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

Image by Eva Bronzini via Pexels

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