Survey Shows Bleak Future For Major Festivals

21 September 2022

Embargoed until Wednesday 28th September at noon.

66% of artists attended fewer festivals this summer, 60% prefer smaller events post-covid.

Pirate, the world’s largest global DJ, rehearsal and recording studio provider, recently surveyed over 1,000 artists about the impact of the cost of living crisis on their creative practice and found that 66% had attended fewer festivals in the summer.

As well as attending fewer festivals, 60% also reported a preference for smaller ‘boutique’ festivals compared to larger more commercial events.
For some, it was about “supporting smaller bands and promoters,” others described the energy as friendlier, saying it “feels a lot more personal, you can make actual connections”. Many also said that smaller festivals were “cheaper” or “better value”:

You get more DIY Innovation and creativity (perhaps due to smaller budgets). I prefer the holistic nature of smaller festivals. It's easier and quicker to meet new people, hook up with friends and musicians, and get around without tramping fields for miles. These days, larger festivals seem to use the same template as every other large festival. The audience is captive, reliant on overpriced, often poor-quality food and drinks while being unable to get to the front due to crowd sizes. Who wants to watch a favourite band from half a mile away?

Quote from Pirate customer

Unfortunately, this isn’t the response that promoters predicted as they geared up for the summer just gone. Post-pandemic, many expected a boom in 2022. Events became larger and more were set up. According to data from RA, there are 66 percent more electronic music festivals in 2022 than 2019.

However, with supply exceeding demand and a growing interest in community-led projects above “samey” larger events, big business festivals could be in trouble or forced to adapt in the coming years.

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