In the latest issue of the European Festival Report, our colleagues Karen and Janina spoke with IQ Magazine about the current state and future of the festival and booking industry. Read the full interview below to discover why our excitement for this year's season remains undiminished despite the challenges ahead.

How was the last summer’s festival season for you?
Speaking for the company, this season has been highly successful. On a personal level, it was filled with great memories and remarkable shows, both big and small. All but one of our summer open air festivals sold out, which is quite an achievement considering the challenging times our industry is currently facing. The reactions from the crowds on-site, our post-festival surveys, and a record-breaking pre-sale all indicate that our guests were very pleased with this year’s line-ups.

On a more personal note, we’d like to emphasize that, beyond being a great place to spend time with our team, artists, and other partners, a festival also offers an opportunity for personal growth. You simply cannot anticipate every little detail; something always requires immediate attention, improvisation, and problem-solving skills. Still, after two challenging post-pandemic years we consider ourselves fortunate to once again find enough time to observe how our guests were receiving the acts we curated. This reality check is always an integral part of our work.

Lastly, it's noticeable that everyone we work with has regained the confidence we were used to seeing before the pandemic. After the turbulent 2022 season, filled with uncertainties, the industry has found its rhythm again. That’s great to see and very much needed for the trials ahead.

What challenges does the festival industry face? And how are you aiming to address them?
The rising costs for virtually everything is a well-known issue across the industry, putting pressure on festival promoters because it’s no longer enough to simply be successful – you need to sell out to achieve any kind of margin.

In addition, we’re constantly striving to improve the gender balance of our line-ups and have successfully increased female representation year after year. While we’re very happy with already showcasing a not only musically diverse line-up, especially finding headline acts that fit our musical identity or play festivals in general remains a challenge. That’s why we’re firm proponents of fostering female talent in all our business areas.  


What trends do you think we will see play out in the next few years at festivals?
It doesn’t feel right to call sustainability a trend, but we’re glad to see that this topic has moved from the fringes of society to centre stage. When we started our sustainability programme for festivals in 2013, we were more or less alone. Today, our guests actively demand progress in this field which more and more people finally recognise as the most vital challenge of our time. While any real impact on global climate change won’t be decided on in the live sector, our industry has the power to spark awareness. That’s why we’re giving NGOs a lot of space at our festivals while also leading by example through the combined sustainability measures across all our events.

We also observe ongoing advancements in stage production: Many artists aim to enhance their music with art, effects, or a cohesive narrative, resulting in a more immersive concert experience for their fans. This is no small feat considering the short set-up times at festivals.


Can you share some of the EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) measures or initiatives you have in place to ensure the festival is a welcoming place for everyone?
As mentioned, more diversity on our stages is a vital measure in this regard, flanked by promotion of young talent through our band contest “Gamechanger”. In regard to our guests, our initiative “Panama” makes festivals more accessible and welcoming for everyone. The core idea is that people who are feeling unwell or uncomfortable get immediate help without having to explain themselves. Furthermore, measures for people with disabilities to improve accessibility are constantly being reviewed and developed.


What role do festivals play in the cultural landscape?
Festivals remain crucial for a vibrant and diverse music scene: For artists, they offer a chance to perform in front of large audiences who might not otherwise attend their concerts – yet. For fans, a well-curated festival is a great place to discover their next favourite bands. As places for joyful discovery and open-mindedness, festivals play a pivotal role in the cultural landscape. And speaking of open-mindedness another factor comes to mind: Not only are festivals ideal places to leave worries and day-to-day life behind, they also constitute a unique forum for togetherness, which is sorely needed in a time that sees societies across the world becoming increasingly divided. We use this very consciously, for example at this year’s instalment of Highfield Festival, where we reminded people through various means that they should vote for democratic parties in the state election.

Read more insights on the European festival market here:
https://www.iq-mag.net/publications/european-festival-report/