?Do you want to be the one that organises
the next Glastonbury? Even if you have something a little smaller in mind, organising a music festival is no easy
feat. There’s a lot to consider, whether you are having it outside, or at your
local bar. It can seem like a great idea, but a lot of work goes into it. That’s
why those who are successful really are heroes. It all comes down to good
planning however. If you keep organised, then you’ll have everyone partying like
it’s 1969.
Why Do You Want to Do It?
Is it to promote a certain genre of music
that you feel doesn’t get enough limelight? Maybe you want to showcase all of
the amazing up and coming local bands in your area, and to promote their talent.
Maybe it’s all for charity. It could even be a combined event like a food and
drink festival, something to get the community together and have them enjoying
the outdoors while your vendors all make a nice profit on the day or weekend.
Whatever the reason, you need to know what it is before you start any planning.
If you don’t have a reason for doing something, then you won’t have a goal to
strive for. Like any large event, a music festival must have an objective. What
is it that you want to achieve?
The Budget
Many major new festivals discover too late
just how much it costs to run a music festival. The key to success is having a
tight budget. Consider your outgoings vs what you think your tickets and other
sales will make. All music acts deserve to be paid for their time, and paid
fairly, so you will need to be able to afford to do this. Remember, one of the
biggest issues that you will face is cashflow problems. A lot of money will
need to be paid out before you will get any in return. This is why it is so
important to look for sponsors early on, as they will provide you with a large
amount of your spending budget.
Choosing the Right Venue
There’s no festival without a venue. If you’re
looking for something out of doors, you need to be well prepared in case of
adverse weather. But that’s no reason not to go for it! Outside venues
generally give you a lot more room to maneuverer and you can have a variety of
vendors set up. Indoor venues can be just as good however. If they are used to having
bands play, then they will already have all of the right equipment and your
music acts might have even played there before! There are loads of festival venues
for hire in London, so take your time when choosing the right one for the feel
of your festival. Chances are, the owners will have hosted something similar in
the past and can help to walk you through everything that needs to be done.
Hiring a venue needs to go to the top of your budget list, as depending on what
you want, they can get quite pricey. There’s always something for everyone however,
so you’re sure to find the right one for you.
Get Your Acts Together
Once you know when and where your festival
is happening, it’s time to sort out who is performing. It’s always good to have
a bit of variety, even if your festival is centred around one genre, you want
to show how varied this can be. Be upfront about how much and when the acts
will get paid. Transparency will build trust between you. You will need a
couple of headline acts, so try to get them on board as soon as possible so
that you can announce it to your followers. Make sure that you have a DJ
playing between sets to keep the mood upbeat. They can even play as part of an
afterparty to keep everyone at the venue. If you have a band that backs out at
the last minute, then the DJ will be able to cover their set as well, without losing
your audience.
Sponsorship Is Key
Without the right sponsorship, it’s likely
that your festival will never get off the ground. You need to consider carefully
exactly what it is that you can offer potential sponsors. They may want their
logo not just on your website, but on all of the merch, flyers and posters as
well. You need to get comfortable with this, as most sponsors won’t give out
the big bucks unless they know that they are getting good advertisement in
return.
Promoting Your Festival
You need to start promoting your festival early
and get the word out to as many people as you can. Start on social media by
announcing the different acts as they are confirmed, but don’t forget to
promote the different vendors you have as well. Flyers and posters will also be
important, and these should be placed at as many different music venues as you
can in order to advertise your festival. How can people buy tickets? You need
to make sure that they are easy to purchase, and reasonably priced as well. All
rules for the festival should also be printed clearly on your website, so that
people know to follow them. Alcohol is likely to be one of your main sellers,
so you need to stop people from bringing in their own.
There’s no doubt about it, organising your
own music festival is hard work. But if your dedicated to the task, you’re sure
to make a success out of it. The key to it, like many events, is in the
planning. Secure your venue and sponsors early on, and you’ll have people queuing
up to get tickets in no time.
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