Despite commitments form many music festival organisers to make their events more diverse it is apparent from media reports that many festivals are still dominated by predominantly white male artists and headliners. What can festival organisers do to address this imbalance and make their future artist selection more diverse.  

Creating a multi-day music festival with hundreds of performance artists and multiple stages requires meticulous planning. What are the planning steps required by producers and stage mangers to archive seamless shows and performances that blend well with the site environment and atmosphere of a music festival.

There are numerous recognised institutions that offer a variety of music festival related formal courses that include live event production and technical topics. Courses available range from short part-time informal training at local colleges to 4-year bachelor's and master's degrees available at recognised universities.

In the current economic climate of rising prices and high interest rates operating a music festival profitably will likely be a challenge in 2023. What measures can organisers look at with a view to reducing their operating costs without impacting on the quality of the event delivery and experience.

Installing a reliable electricity supply for a music festival on a remote site can be challenging and expensive. What considerations are there for organisers when planning their temporary power supply installation to ensure that the event runs smoothly and safely in a sustainable manner.

Most music festival entities publish sustainability policies, but these can be worthless if everyone working for the event is not committed to fulfilling these policies. What steps can festival organisers take to ensure that their staff, volunteers and suppliers show a demonstrable commitment to any stated sustainability policies.

The wide variety of food and beverage options often found at music festivals is usually the result of organisers trying to offer options that fit well with the event's overall ethos. What can festival-goers expect to see from food vendors this year that will provide alternatives to the usual fast-food offerings.

There is an unwritten code of behaviour for festival-goers which is well understood by regular ticket buyers. This code of etiquette is mostly common sense but for new festival-goers and those who have not been to an event in a number of years there are some trending changes for 2023.

Outside the United States Americana themed festivals continue to grow in popularity despite remaining relatively niche events. What is the attraction and appeal of these festivals that makes them endure and prosper in the face of increased competition from mainstream festivals.

Having a forum for music festival fans is a great way increase engagement with existing and potential ticket buyers. Creating an official festival forum can help control the narrative, topics and discussions about the event. What are the benefits of a festival’s own forum and how can organisers get started.  

The large fees paid to a headline act appearing at a large well-known music festival can sometimes attract media attention. Are their fees increasing and widening the gap between these lucky few artists and emerging talent? What's causing this disparity and are there any solutions.

The introduction of low emission zones (LEZ’s) in many European cities in recent years could have numerous implications for event organisers who choose to use city venues. Where are these LEZ’s and what should festival and event organisers know to minimise the financial impact of these changes.

Good coverage in relevant media can boost awareness and interest in a music festival ultimately leading to higher demand for attendance and ticket sales. Festival organisers manage their PR in various ways depending on the resources available. How can a smaller up and coming music festival maximise their coverage with limited resources.

Some popular music festivals enjoy the benefit of quickly selling out as soon as tickets go on sale. Unfortunately, this only applies to the large most well-known festivals and many smaller events can struggle to sell their tickets. Running a prize draw competition can boost interest in an event and generate increased ticket sales.

An often-overlooked aspect of organising any music festival is the allocation of meal tickets for crew and artists. A hungry and disappointed artist may not perform well so organisers should ensure they have robust plans in place for catering arrangements and the allocation of meal tickets well in advance of the live event dates.

Booking and scheduling the backline equipment that is used at every music festival is an essential part of the event logistics planning. What are the trends organisers should be considering this year when making decisions about the suppliers and specifications of their backline equipment for future events. 

Most open-air music festivals take place in countryside locations and farmland where the impact on local wildlife can be significant. What measures can music festival organisers take to manage and minimise the impact of their event on the local wildlife and environment to maintain biodiversity.

There has been much comment in the media recently about the large rises in the costs of music festival tickets. Despite the seemingly high prices for attending a 3-day music festival in 2023 they probably still represent excellent value for money when compared to the cost of attending a one-off concert. 

Music festival sites can look messy and unkempt after several days and this does not convey a positive image to festival-goers. With some festivals receiving thousands of visitors keeping the site looking fresh and clean can be a challenge and is a common criticism by visitors who often complain of piles of rubbish and safety hazards.

The events sector is a thriving industry that is making a good come back after the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. This opens up plenty of opportunities for those working in the industry and is particularly suited to those who prefer working on a temporary contract basis. What is it like working as a temporary contractor in the events industry.

Many hotels and resorts are blessed with generous grounds, and they can make the perfect location for a music festival. In the current tough economic climate, it makes sense for hotel owners to utilise the space they have to generate much needed income. How can these venue owners create unique events that attract a ticket buying audience. 

One of the biggest challenges this year for music festival organisers are the rising costs for everything associated with putting on their event. Despite good financial planning some costs continue to increase. Organisers could consider using their tickets as an asset currency to help reduce expenditure.

It has become increasingly common to find well-known comedians performing at numerous music festivals every year. As well as providing an excellent platform for live comedy performances a music festival audience also gets to experience more varied entertainment which can enhance the experience for a multi-day event.

A football stadium can make an ideal venue for a city-based music festival and the UK has at least one in every city and large town. What are the advantages and disadvantages for festival organisers in considering a football stadium as a potential venue for any forthcoming events.

Many music festivals take place in remote locations with a temporary infrastructure but this should never prevent all people from being able to attend and enjoy the event. Every festival provides information about accessibility on their site and how they make the event inclusive for all but what measures can organisers take to improve accessibility.

Sponsorship deals are the lifeblood of most music festivals providing a significant portion of their overall revenue. The move to more environmentally sustainable events and the reduction in their carbon footprint makes the selection of appropriate green sponsors more challenging for organisers.

Every music festival relies on volunteers to help make the events successful and run smoothly. Organisers have different methods of calculating the number of volunteers they will need and this can vary between a few hundred and over a thousand. How can organisers recruit the numbers of volunteers they need and what data should they collect from applications.

There are thousands of music festivals to choose from every year in just about every location covering a wide variety of music genres. For the adventurous music festival-goer who wants to try something a little different there are an appealing range of festivals that take place on islands around the world.

In 2022 there was a flurry of activity in the streamed music sector with new product launches from both Spotify and Apple. These leading players in the music streaming business have a new competing App called Instafest that is growing in popularity and allows users to curate their own dream music festival line-up.