To some extent, the answer to that question is whatever the organisers want it to be, though there are several well-defined types of event that are most common.
- * Folk
- * Classic Music
- * Chamber Music
- * Blues
- * Pop Music
- * Tribute Bands
- * Jazz
- * Opera
- * Experimental Music
- * Electronic Music
- * Ska
- * Heavy Metal
The list goes on and on. in essence, if there is a genre of modern music, then there is scope to arrange a communal Festival event with a music theme at its heart. They may be family orientated, adult-orientated, music geek focussed, broad-ranging or niche. 1,2,3 or 4 days duration, with or without camping and overnight rough sleeping. You name it, there is probably scope to arrange and structure a Festival event around it. Some UK examples include the famous Glastonbury Festival, Tribfest, Three Choirs Festival and the former V-Festival.
Of course, there is more to an event of this type than just music. Accompanying the musical activities you will often see a range of outdoor attractions, catering and crafts, all with a place at these most cosmopolitan of occasions. Fairgrounds, Inflatable assault courses, Laser tag events, a wide range of familiar and exotic food and drink plus all the crafts, decorative and body art choices that give these occasions such a wonderfully entertaining feel. The Festival experience is something quite special and perhaps that explains partly at least, why they are so popular across the summer months (especially) in the UK.
So the day or weekend itself is great fun and everyone has a fantastic time. Before you feel inspired to rush off and get one underway, just pause for a moment and consider what actually needs to happen in order for those few wonderful days to take place. There is work – a lot of it and you’ll need to be prepared for some hard graft, good decision making and some sleepless nights. Why? Because these are major projects and we use the word project advisedly. They need to be organised and planned like a military operation with many moving parts that need work carried out by the right people at the right time and all within a budget.
Challenging? Yes, but not impossible as the year on year increase in Music Festivals shows. Here at A1 Festivals, we specialise in organising, supporting or simply advising potential Festival organisers about the right steps to take to bring their event to fruition. We can’t give away the crown jewels of course but here is our rough guide to organising a Music Festival.
For organisers, it’s important to understand how to plan and put together a credible and rewarding event. The final product has to be fun-filled, entertaining, and secure.
This guide is a comprehensive look at how to plan, manage, and organise a Music Festival.
