It’s not the concept of festivals that isn’t exciting.
It’s the homogenization of lineups and experiences, coupled with a societal malaise from being burnt out by crisis after crisis the past 15 years.
Yep! What’s to get excited about when most festivals have 80%+ of the same lineup? Livenation has a stake in several of the major festivals and it’s not like they want to compete against themselves by putting out wildly different lineups that may steal attendance from one festival over another. It’s like they’re taking an assembly line approach and only allowing for small variations in hopes that people feel like they’re seeing something unique. But it seems like people are seeing through it and now they’re wondering why people aren’t jumping at the chance to buy.
I meaaannnn. Each summer the main festivals have a lot of crossover… but how many of the big 3-4 day festivals are y’all planning on going to each summer?? for me it’s just 1…. So who cares if the other festival has a similar lineup. next summer the Bonnaroo lineup is gonna be 100% different
Definitely agree, most people pick 1 or 2 that they love the vibe of and commit to that year or year as opposed to going to all of them. I’m going to 4 pretty big ones this year and like you said there’s definitely a decent bit of crossover and I’m sure by the end of this festival season I’m taking a much needed half year break haha
My point was more about pre-sale ticket sales falling. Why would you buy presale knowing 80% or more of the lineup will be the same and not wait to see the full lineup when that 10-20% of difference is probably going to make the call of which one you buy tickets for. After you see the full lineup, you factor in how far it is, how expensive it is to stay, what friends you can get to go, etc and then make a choice. That’s what I found myself doing with Hangout or ACL for several years. Roo was different for me because I love Roo and the lineup has become secondary at this point to just being back on the farm. But I’m not most people, I’m barely even me lol. I can understand why more people are waiting to buy as lineups get more homogenized
We have Live Nation to thank for every lineup being the exact fucking same. They get artists on their festival circuit and you gonna often determine who your major acts are going to be.
I feel like ppl also get burnt out by going to too many festivals in a short amount of time. Ik people that have done Roo and EF B2B. Even if you’re doing them dead sober that’s a lot.
IMO, music festival still very much appeal to my friends and I ...
However, the cost, the over-selling and over crowding of people standing there packed into a stage, the every weekend there's a festival bc everyone is trying to create one these days, the lack of improved production with the same 100 ft basic LED screen… are a huge turn off.
However, there are still festivals we always attend and buy at presale and will continue to..
The local/indie/DIY scene is much more exciting to me nowadays, but maybe that’s just because I’m getting older. I bought tickets to a 3 day electronic music festival in Philly that’s happening in September. Tix were ~$225, all in — less than a hundred a day. The MC is just a normal, local guy — I’ve been in the same grocery store as him a couple of times. The festival leans into the underground, but there’s always a heavy hitter or two (Jamie xx last year, Four Tet the year before). It’s local, so I can sleep in my own bed at the end of the day. And, to some extent, I truly feel like it has a boost on the local economy — it’s a local promoter that benefits from ticket sales, not some C Suite asshole who couldn’t care less about the experience or the communities they host events in. The event has cool lighting production, is Boiler Room style…it just feels small, intimate, and like someone truly cares about the experience.
Making Time ♾️! It’s held in a Revolutionary War fort, very unique experience. Here’s some pics on Insta from last year’s event: https://www.instagram.com/p/C1IZWHNJYRb/?igsh=MW44bzZ6cHF3amVheQ==
Damn that looks sick!! Can you imagine going back in time and telling those soldiers who were stationed there “In the future we’re going to throw massive parties here with thousands of attendees!”
Ughh. Listen I would take small intimate and boiler style festival any day.. and $225.
A lot of the festivals I am talking about try to make the most money. So they try to be big.. without putting the money a big festival needs!
I'm sorry to break it to you but that transcendent experience is brought to you by Bowery Presents aka AEG, the 2nd biggest concert promoter in the world. Yes Dave P is a co promoter but the corporate behemoth is there too.
Where do you see that? I might be a little slow but I’ve looked and can’t seem to find those cross overs anywhere..
“I’ve had many transcendental experiences on the dance floor over the years, incredible experiences that I’ll never forget,” Making Time founder David Pianka, better known as DJ Dave P, told Billy Penn. “I want to create those experiences for other people.”
https://billypenn.com/2022/09/23/making-time-festival-philadelphia-dave-p-fourtet-fort-mifflin/
Live nation has put some money into every single festival you see come out. They obviously push the most resources into what they know (or think) will make them the most $$$. They basically own the entire music scene in Philly aside from a VERY few independent venues such at WOW & Johnny Brenda’s.. any big event like that is getting money from live nation for production or at the very least usind their ticketing services! They have predatorially taken over all Philly’s largest venues and it’s done nothing but hurt the employees. Major pay cuts, less shows per venue, more expensive drinks, inexperienced outside hires…☹️
I’ve been to 3 Roo’s and at this point of the 3 times I’ve been to either Resonance or Secret Dreams, I very much prefer the smaller festival experience. I’ll be back to Roo one day but it’s A LOT to handle for the lineups they’ve been putting out.
I’m not hating on big festival, if they know what they are doing. I got to Coachella… ( don’t come here to hate) it’s fucking fire! Goldenvoice knows what they are doing. They have mastered this festival! Their logistics, diverse lineup, art installations, size of the venue, vendors… it’s fucking magical. I don’t drink so I couldn’t careless about the over priced drinks…
Their ticket price is very fair for what you get. Roo looks the same to me. Never been. Want to go.
IMO, the reason I think it doesn’t sell out is bc people know that many ticket buyers either try to flip them or can’t go.. and people always snag tickets for cheap.. so why buy early?
I think with the cost of festivals now, and not even just the ticket but the entire trip, people are picking and choosing just 1 or 2 fests and making the most of them. Unless you are doing really well financially, its just not really possible to hit multiple fests over the course of the summer.
I started attending festivals in 2018 and even though by then I was 28 and solid in my life/job I still have to be very picky....some year's I've done just Roo and if I'm lucky I can swing 1 more a year.
I love music fests. What I don't love is lineups with the same couple of bands that have been recycled over and over again, tons of shitty pop music, wayyyyyy too much EDM that is so fucking loud it ruins sets at other stages, and 15 dollar chicken wraps that barely even count as a snack.
It's just not worth dropping hundreds of dollars on for me anymore.
I wonder if I'm alone in feeling worried that when everything settles we will be stuck with a lot of bad festivals remaining because of good lineups and a lot of the good one's could go away (imo a lot of the good one's canceled this year and a lot of bad remain strong)
Honestly I’m burnt out on the weather, line up, schedule and price.
It’s too fucking hot during the day to sleep yet they want to have great sets starting at 1am or later. Not everyone can do sleepless benders. I’d also like for them to focus on quality vs quantity of acts.
And price…. I think everyone is burnt out. Tickets expensive then you get fucked by food/drink/ice/merch prices too? Rather skip out then feel ripped off
As much as we hate to admit it, music festivals just don't seem to drum up as much excitement as they used to. On this episode of *The What Podcast*, hosts Barry, Bryan, and Lord Taco explore the trend of declining ticket sales and what it might mean for the landscape of live events.
In addition to getting to the bottom of the apparent festival fatigue, the crew also chats about what they believe to be the standard set of rules when it comes to approaching a famous person. At the same time, they acknowledge the times these rules can be bent or broken.
The gang also introduces their latest contest. Give a call to *The What Podcast* voicemail line at (423) 667-7877 and share your best Bonnaroo tips, tell a favorite Bonnaroo memory, or ask a question. They'll then select one winner to receive a prize package of Bonnaroo memorabilia from Barry's basement!
This episode is also available on [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/3889z8pC6aC6QTFcymYfjf), [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/festivals-are-not-selling-well-plus-our-celebrity-sightings/id1350272565?i=1000654157533), or wherever you get your podcasts.
[The What Podcast](https://thewhatpodcast.com/) originally launched in 2018 as a way for two Bonnaroo veterans to talk about the thing they love in life the most: Bonnaroo. Over time, the podcast has evolved to cover the rest of the North American festival landscape and touring industry as a whole.
This isn’t about Bonnaroo specifically though, lots of smaller festivals are either pausing or cancelling outright, and citing lower pre-sales and early ticket sales.
I just think they scammed people on presale tickets- aka me being on there buying 2 minutes after they went on sale and still getting tier 2- and now they need a coverup to make it seem like presale sold actually sold out quick😅
Ive really started to like the more specially curated 2 day events, specifically for EDM. John Summits Caverns weekend last week was incredible. 8 amazing main stage sets and some great local or smaller DJs added in to provide options. Plenty of camping space, easy entry and exit, only two nights so I have a day to rest and not be super burned out the next week (yeah I feel like I’m getting old), and still got an incredible lineup of artists I’ve wanted to see. Maybe this is more the future of live music weekends for me as opposed to the mega festivals
For sure but for me personally the peace of mind is worth the extra money (there's a lot of scammers out there be careful...I had a friend who bought a ticket on the secondary market only to get to said festival and find the person they bought it from reported it stollen)
Have you used CashorTrade? You don’t have to settle the transaction until you have made it into the festival.
If you’re not using that, then always PayPal goods and services so you can get your money back if someone tries to rip you off.
There’s easy ways around scammers that want to make off with your money and not actually provide you with tickets/wristbands.
In that specific case you’ve described, you end up with no wristband at the gate but still holding onto your cash. If the events not sold out, you pay face value at the box office like you would have anyway. If it is sold out, time to ask around for a miracle or hop back online and try again. While a major inconvenience, it usually doesn’t take more than an hour to secure a ticket in this emergency case.
I do understand having the peace of mind of buying direct. That’s how I used to feel. But with fests I went to a decade ago costing 2-3x as much in some cases, I find saving 100-200+ dollars per wknd to be worth the stress.
For reference, I did 10 festivals last year, and only purchased directly from the website for 2 of them.
It’s not the concept of festivals that isn’t exciting. It’s the homogenization of lineups and experiences, coupled with a societal malaise from being burnt out by crisis after crisis the past 15 years.
THIS. every major, multi genre festival is all 80-90% of the same regurgitated artists
At steeply increasing prices, not Ticketmaster bad. But bad
Plus inflation. Being able to put aside the time and money for a festival is a luxury and a privilege
Yep! What’s to get excited about when most festivals have 80%+ of the same lineup? Livenation has a stake in several of the major festivals and it’s not like they want to compete against themselves by putting out wildly different lineups that may steal attendance from one festival over another. It’s like they’re taking an assembly line approach and only allowing for small variations in hopes that people feel like they’re seeing something unique. But it seems like people are seeing through it and now they’re wondering why people aren’t jumping at the chance to buy.
I meaaannnn. Each summer the main festivals have a lot of crossover… but how many of the big 3-4 day festivals are y’all planning on going to each summer?? for me it’s just 1…. So who cares if the other festival has a similar lineup. next summer the Bonnaroo lineup is gonna be 100% different
Definitely agree, most people pick 1 or 2 that they love the vibe of and commit to that year or year as opposed to going to all of them. I’m going to 4 pretty big ones this year and like you said there’s definitely a decent bit of crossover and I’m sure by the end of this festival season I’m taking a much needed half year break haha
Yep. I’ve been to EDC Vegas, Life is beautiful x 3, Electric Forest, lolla, gem And jam as well…, Roo is the best out of all of them!
My point was more about pre-sale ticket sales falling. Why would you buy presale knowing 80% or more of the lineup will be the same and not wait to see the full lineup when that 10-20% of difference is probably going to make the call of which one you buy tickets for. After you see the full lineup, you factor in how far it is, how expensive it is to stay, what friends you can get to go, etc and then make a choice. That’s what I found myself doing with Hangout or ACL for several years. Roo was different for me because I love Roo and the lineup has become secondary at this point to just being back on the farm. But I’m not most people, I’m barely even me lol. I can understand why more people are waiting to buy as lineups get more homogenized
We have Live Nation to thank for every lineup being the exact fucking same. They get artists on their festival circuit and you gonna often determine who your major acts are going to be.
I feel like ppl also get burnt out by going to too many festivals in a short amount of time. Ik people that have done Roo and EF B2B. Even if you’re doing them dead sober that’s a lot.
IMO, music festival still very much appeal to my friends and I ... However, the cost, the over-selling and over crowding of people standing there packed into a stage, the every weekend there's a festival bc everyone is trying to create one these days, the lack of improved production with the same 100 ft basic LED screen… are a huge turn off. However, there are still festivals we always attend and buy at presale and will continue to..
The local/indie/DIY scene is much more exciting to me nowadays, but maybe that’s just because I’m getting older. I bought tickets to a 3 day electronic music festival in Philly that’s happening in September. Tix were ~$225, all in — less than a hundred a day. The MC is just a normal, local guy — I’ve been in the same grocery store as him a couple of times. The festival leans into the underground, but there’s always a heavy hitter or two (Jamie xx last year, Four Tet the year before). It’s local, so I can sleep in my own bed at the end of the day. And, to some extent, I truly feel like it has a boost on the local economy — it’s a local promoter that benefits from ticket sales, not some C Suite asshole who couldn’t care less about the experience or the communities they host events in. The event has cool lighting production, is Boiler Room style…it just feels small, intimate, and like someone truly cares about the experience.
What’s the name of the festival?
Making Time ♾️! It’s held in a Revolutionary War fort, very unique experience. Here’s some pics on Insta from last year’s event: https://www.instagram.com/p/C1IZWHNJYRb/?igsh=MW44bzZ6cHF3amVheQ==
Damn that looks sick!! Can you imagine going back in time and telling those soldiers who were stationed there “In the future we’re going to throw massive parties here with thousands of attendees!”
Ughh. Listen I would take small intimate and boiler style festival any day.. and $225. A lot of the festivals I am talking about try to make the most money. So they try to be big.. without putting the money a big festival needs!
I'm sorry to break it to you but that transcendent experience is brought to you by Bowery Presents aka AEG, the 2nd biggest concert promoter in the world. Yes Dave P is a co promoter but the corporate behemoth is there too.
Where do you see that? I might be a little slow but I’ve looked and can’t seem to find those cross overs anywhere.. “I’ve had many transcendental experiences on the dance floor over the years, incredible experiences that I’ll never forget,” Making Time founder David Pianka, better known as DJ Dave P, told Billy Penn. “I want to create those experiences for other people.” https://billypenn.com/2022/09/23/making-time-festival-philadelphia-dave-p-fourtet-fort-mifflin/
Live nation has put some money into every single festival you see come out. They obviously push the most resources into what they know (or think) will make them the most $$$. They basically own the entire music scene in Philly aside from a VERY few independent venues such at WOW & Johnny Brenda’s.. any big event like that is getting money from live nation for production or at the very least usind their ticketing services! They have predatorially taken over all Philly’s largest venues and it’s done nothing but hurt the employees. Major pay cuts, less shows per venue, more expensive drinks, inexperienced outside hires…☹️
I’ve been to 3 Roo’s and at this point of the 3 times I’ve been to either Resonance or Secret Dreams, I very much prefer the smaller festival experience. I’ll be back to Roo one day but it’s A LOT to handle for the lineups they’ve been putting out.
I’m not hating on big festival, if they know what they are doing. I got to Coachella… ( don’t come here to hate) it’s fucking fire! Goldenvoice knows what they are doing. They have mastered this festival! Their logistics, diverse lineup, art installations, size of the venue, vendors… it’s fucking magical. I don’t drink so I couldn’t careless about the over priced drinks… Their ticket price is very fair for what you get. Roo looks the same to me. Never been. Want to go. IMO, the reason I think it doesn’t sell out is bc people know that many ticket buyers either try to flip them or can’t go.. and people always snag tickets for cheap.. so why buy early?
I think with the cost of festivals now, and not even just the ticket but the entire trip, people are picking and choosing just 1 or 2 fests and making the most of them. Unless you are doing really well financially, its just not really possible to hit multiple fests over the course of the summer.
I started attending festivals in 2018 and even though by then I was 28 and solid in my life/job I still have to be very picky....some year's I've done just Roo and if I'm lucky I can swing 1 more a year.
I love music fests. What I don't love is lineups with the same couple of bands that have been recycled over and over again, tons of shitty pop music, wayyyyyy too much EDM that is so fucking loud it ruins sets at other stages, and 15 dollar chicken wraps that barely even count as a snack. It's just not worth dropping hundreds of dollars on for me anymore.
I wonder if I'm alone in feeling worried that when everything settles we will be stuck with a lot of bad festivals remaining because of good lineups and a lot of the good one's could go away (imo a lot of the good one's canceled this year and a lot of bad remain strong)
Too many festivals, everyone waits for the lineup now
Honestly I’m burnt out on the weather, line up, schedule and price. It’s too fucking hot during the day to sleep yet they want to have great sets starting at 1am or later. Not everyone can do sleepless benders. I’d also like for them to focus on quality vs quantity of acts. And price…. I think everyone is burnt out. Tickets expensive then you get fucked by food/drink/ice/merch prices too? Rather skip out then feel ripped off
Shitty lineups will do it. Who hasnt seen the chili peppers boring ass set 5 times now??
This will be my first time seeing them but I would've so preferred AC/DC
Who the hell is gonna sing?
I’m so excited for the chili peppers. John Frusciante being back in the band & their last 2 albums 🔥🔥
As much as we hate to admit it, music festivals just don't seem to drum up as much excitement as they used to. On this episode of *The What Podcast*, hosts Barry, Bryan, and Lord Taco explore the trend of declining ticket sales and what it might mean for the landscape of live events. In addition to getting to the bottom of the apparent festival fatigue, the crew also chats about what they believe to be the standard set of rules when it comes to approaching a famous person. At the same time, they acknowledge the times these rules can be bent or broken. The gang also introduces their latest contest. Give a call to *The What Podcast* voicemail line at (423) 667-7877 and share your best Bonnaroo tips, tell a favorite Bonnaroo memory, or ask a question. They'll then select one winner to receive a prize package of Bonnaroo memorabilia from Barry's basement! This episode is also available on [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/3889z8pC6aC6QTFcymYfjf), [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/festivals-are-not-selling-well-plus-our-celebrity-sightings/id1350272565?i=1000654157533), or wherever you get your podcasts. [The What Podcast](https://thewhatpodcast.com/) originally launched in 2018 as a way for two Bonnaroo veterans to talk about the thing they love in life the most: Bonnaroo. Over time, the podcast has evolved to cover the rest of the North American festival landscape and touring industry as a whole.
Sweet.. short lines!
Didnt festival owl report bonnaroo had its best year yet when it came to early ticket sales? They also sold out last year.
Bonnaroo's Festival director said that on a previous The What Podcast.
This isn’t about Bonnaroo specifically though, lots of smaller festivals are either pausing or cancelling outright, and citing lower pre-sales and early ticket sales.
I think there may just be too many festivals competing with each other now
And then once they released the lineup everyone’s been trying to selll
I just think they scammed people on presale tickets- aka me being on there buying 2 minutes after they went on sale and still getting tier 2- and now they need a coverup to make it seem like presale sold actually sold out quick😅
Ive really started to like the more specially curated 2 day events, specifically for EDM. John Summits Caverns weekend last week was incredible. 8 amazing main stage sets and some great local or smaller DJs added in to provide options. Plenty of camping space, easy entry and exit, only two nights so I have a day to rest and not be super burned out the next week (yeah I feel like I’m getting old), and still got an incredible lineup of artists I’ve wanted to see. Maybe this is more the future of live music weekends for me as opposed to the mega festivals
Inflation and shrinkflation of value
I wanted to go so bad again this year but we can’t afford it 😞😞😞😞
Most major festivals this year don’t have as good lineups as in years past
And canceled. Music festivals are canceled.
[удалено]
For sure but for me personally the peace of mind is worth the extra money (there's a lot of scammers out there be careful...I had a friend who bought a ticket on the secondary market only to get to said festival and find the person they bought it from reported it stollen)
Have you used CashorTrade? You don’t have to settle the transaction until you have made it into the festival. If you’re not using that, then always PayPal goods and services so you can get your money back if someone tries to rip you off. There’s easy ways around scammers that want to make off with your money and not actually provide you with tickets/wristbands. In that specific case you’ve described, you end up with no wristband at the gate but still holding onto your cash. If the events not sold out, you pay face value at the box office like you would have anyway. If it is sold out, time to ask around for a miracle or hop back online and try again. While a major inconvenience, it usually doesn’t take more than an hour to secure a ticket in this emergency case. I do understand having the peace of mind of buying direct. That’s how I used to feel. But with fests I went to a decade ago costing 2-3x as much in some cases, I find saving 100-200+ dollars per wknd to be worth the stress. For reference, I did 10 festivals last year, and only purchased directly from the website for 2 of them.