The litany of obstacles facing the festival sector formed the basis of the opening panel of this year’s International Festival Forum (IFF).

Held today (25 September) in London Bridge, The Festival Season 2024 was moderated by IQ magazine’s James Drury, featured high-profile agents Summer Marshall of CAA and Primary Talent International’s Matt Bates, plus Serbia’s Exit Festival co-founder Dusan Kovacevic and Goodlive’s Fruzsina Szép, MD of Munich’s Superbloom and festival director of Lollapalooza Berlin.

The session began with a presentation of ROSTR x IQ’s analysis of the European festival summer by ROSTR co-founder and CEO Mark Williamson.

A key talking point related to gender equality, as 69% of all artists across all lineups were men, while 97% of every band and every solo act that played a headline slot were male (the full analysis appears in the new issue of IQ).

“There’s still a lot of big female artists out there, but rather than playing at festivals, they’re staging their own outdoor shows,” offered Bates, who added the trend was not exclusive to women performers. “When you’re a huge artist nowadays, there’s a tendency to do your own thing rather than performing at a festival which would’ve been the norm 10 to 15 years ago,” he said.

“A major positive about headliners doing their own thing is that festivals now have a better opportunity to help break through emerging acts and mid-level artists”

Bates considered the shift could yet be a blessing in disguise for festival organisers.

“A major positive about headliners doing their own thing is that festivals now have a better opportunity to help break through emerging acts and mid-level artists,” he explained.

Kovacevic agreed with the sentiment, pointing out that, in Exit’s case, it forces the festival itself to become the headline act rather than a select number of big names. “This will force other festivals to not rely too much on headliners, but to focus on the overall experience instead,” he said.

Szép added that increased awareness of the types of brands sponsoring festivals and rising costs have made festival-goers more cautious when it came to expenditure.

“The younger generation are a lot more sensitive to what they’re spending their money on, which mirrors what artists are questioning when it comes to choosing what festival they’re willing to put their names on,” she explained.

“It’s a very personal decision for each artist, and as an agent, if you’re presented a deal a year in advance but the sponsors haven’t been confirmed yet, it becomes a tricky situation”

The session also touched upon navigating the controversial issue of artists pulling out of festivals due to sponsors affiliated with various political situations.

“It’s all about communication,” Marshall said. “It’s a very personal decision for each artist, and as an agent, if you’re presented a deal a year in advance but the sponsors haven’t been confirmed yet, it becomes a tricky situation.”

“As an agent, we’ll be quite careful not to have our own opinion, so we really have to stay neutral all the time,” Bates added. “Some of the situations involving artists pulling out of slots aren’t just due to political reasons. I’ve had acts that refused to play because they didn’t like the brand, which they might find to be damaging to their own reputation. It’s always a balancing act.”

Furthermore, the panel agreed that festivals would have to cater for audiences that are more socially and financially conscious than in the past.

“We can’t continue raising ticket prices every year, so it’s important to keep thinking of creative solutions to keep the younger demographic coming to festivals,” said Szép, who cautioned: “A festival nowadays is a very risky business.”

And despite the issues that have threatened the festival business since the pandemic, the panellists remained optimistic about the direction of travel.

“It’s absolutely vital that festivals focus on spotlighting emerging artists and continue to create the headliners of tomorrow,” Kovacevic said, with Szép adding that this is a “great way to minimise costs that would usually increase significantly with major headline acts”.

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With the European festival season in full swing, IQ is previewing what the forthcoming weekend has in store…

Dutch festival Down The Rabbit Hole (5–7 July) will welcome a sold-out crowd for its 2024 edition, after selling all 45,000 tickets in less than 45 minutes of going on sale.

The Mojo-promoted event at De Groene Heuvels near Ewijk will feature performances from the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Michael Kiwanuka, The National, Jungle, Raye, Jessie Ware and Khruangbin.

Meanwhile, hip-hop festival franchise Rolling Loud will debut in Austria (5–7) as the only European edition in 2024.

The Live Nation Germany-promoted event, dubbed Rolling Loud Europe, will take over Racino in Ebreichsdorf, an open-air venue on the outskirts of Vienna.

Nicki Minaj, Playboi Carti and Travis Scott will headline the premiere, with support from acts including Ice Spice, Shirin David and Don Toliver.

In Belgium, Rock Werchter (4–7) is already underway at Festivalpark in Werchter. The Live Nation Belgium-promoted event is headlined by Foo Fighters, Dua Lipa, Lenny Kravitz and Måneskin. Day tickets have sold out for four of the five dates.

Bombay Bicycle Club, Snow Patrol, Yungblud and Sum 41, The Last Dinner Party, Nothing But Thieves, Avril Lavigne and Khruangbin, Michael Kiwanuka, Arlo Parks and Royal Blood will also perform at Belgium’s biggest festival over the coming days.

Hip-hop festival franchise Rolling Loud will debut in Austria this weekend

Dua Lipa and Foo Fighters are also headlining Open’er (3–6) on the north coast of Poland, in Gdynia, alongside Doja Cat.

Addition acts for the Alter Art-promoted event include Hozier, Charli XCX, Don Toliver, Måneskin, Disclosure, Ashnikko, 21 Savage, Ice Spice, Air, Loyle Carner, Michael Kiwanuka, Floating Points, Kim Gordon, Tom Morello, Sampha and Slowdive.

Ruisrock (5–7), the second oldest rock festival in Europe, will once again take over the national park of Ruissalo in Turku, Finland this weekend.

The Chainsmokers, Hardwell, Disclosure, PMMP and Stormzy are top are top billing for the 2024 edition, which will host up to 35,000 people a day.

Elsewhere, electronic music festival Balaton Sound (3–6) is afoot on the beach in Zamárdi, Hungary.

Marshmello, Alison Wonderland, Adam Beyer, Amelie Lens and Timmy Trumpet are among the acts performing at the event, organised by the team behind Sziget in Budapest.

Other festivals taking place this weekend include Electric Love Festival (AU), Lovely Days Festival (AU), Lytham Festival (UK), Les Eurockéennes de Belfort (FR), Awakenings Summer Festival (NL), Love Supreme Jazz Festival (UK) and Comfort Festival (IT).

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With the 2024 festival season fast approaching, a raft of major events have announced updates on what’s in store this summer.

The lineup for the inaugural edition of KALORAMA Madrid has been finalised, with LCD Soundsystem, Raye, Massive Attack and Sam Smith topping the bill.

The festival is set to take place at the Recinto Ferial Fairgrounds between 29–31 August, the same dates as its Portuguese counterpart, MEO KALORAMA.

Peggy Gou, The Smile, Jungle, The Postal Service, Death Cab For Cutie, The Smile, The Kills, Gossip and Fever Ray are also set to perform at KALORAMA Madrid, promoted by Last Tour (Bilbao BBK, BIME).

Wireless Middle East has also fleshed out the programme for its second edition, which has been pushed back from spring to winter this year.

“This change aims to create an even more unforgettable and enjoyable event”

The Abu Dhabi event, set for 23 November at Etihad Park on Yas Island, will be headlined by SZA, 21 Savage and Yeat.

Karan Aujla, Fridayy, Flo Milli, Raf Saperra, Faris Shafi, Dina Ayada, Mazen, Lancey Foux, Seedhe Maut and Stick No Bills are also due to perform.

James Craven, president of Live Nation Middle East, which promotes the event, apologised for the rescheduling but said that it would allow them to curate the best possible lineup.

“This change aims to create an even more unforgettable and enjoyable event, allowing us to curate a lineup that surpasses all expectations,” he said.

The debut edition drew 25,000 fans and was deemed a “huge success” by Live Nation Middle East.

“The success of last year’s Country Bay Music Festival was immensely rewarding”

Also returning for a second edition is the Miami-based Country Bay Music Festival, promoted by Loud and Live.

Scheduled to take place 9-10 November at the Miami Marine Stadium, the second edition boasts headliners Zac Brown Band and Carrie Underwood.

Dustin Lynch, Chase Rice, Diplo presents Thomas Wesley, Chris Janson, Parmalee, Gabby Barrett, Chayce Beckham, Niko Moon and Redferrin are also due to perform.

“The success of last year’s Country Bay Music Festival was immensely rewarding,” says Nelson Albareda, CEO of Loud And Live. “As a first-year festival, we not only hosted a premier country music festival in Miami featuring stellar artists, but also provided an exceptional experience for our music fans and partner sponsors. The festival reaffirmed our city’s reputation as a vibrant playground and established Miami as a must-visit destination for country music enthusiasts from around the world.”

Elsewhere in the country music sphere, Florida’s Kickoff Jam (30 Aug – 1 Sept) has been cancelled.

“We are going to cancel Kickoff Jam and provide refunds”

Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood and Alabama were due to headline the 2024 instalment at Frank Brown Park in Panama City Beach.

“After the success of Gulf Coast Jam [held May 30-June 2] this past weekend in Panama City Beach, we realised the weekend after Memorial Day is a much better time to host a festival,” Kickoff Jam producers stated in a post on the festival’s Instagram page. “So, we are going to cancel Kickoff Jam and provide refunds.”

Needtobreathe, Lauren Alaina, Restless Road, Randy Houser, the Oak Ridge Boys and Rhett Akins were also due to perform.

Meanwhile, Dutch festival Mañana Mañana has announced that its upcoming 10th edition will be the last.

The festival, promoted by Superstruct-backed Feestfabriek (Party Factory), will bid farewell between 13–16 June in  Achterhoek, in eastern Netherlands.

The organisation indicates that despite all efforts, ticket sales are not good enough to make the event profitable.

Swiss new music festival Radar is expanding with new locations and more days

“In the week before the festival starts, we had to make a difficult decision: Mañana Mañana 2024 is the tenth, but also the last edition,” Feestfabriek wrote in a statement.

“We want to be honest with all the dear and loyal visitors who have been looking forward to next weekend for months. That is why we choose to inform visitors and other involved parties in advance about this incredibly difficult decision. We don’t want to go out like a night candle, but like a crackling campfire with all our friends around it: we are going to make it a fantastic farewell party with laughter and tears! Let’s say goodbye to this unique discovery festival with a party. And for those who have never experienced our wonderful event, this is the last chance.”

In more positive news, Swiss new music festival Radar is expanding with new locations and more days.

The Gadget-promoted event will return to Langstrasse Zurich for two days, 13 and 14 September, showcasing 25 national and international acts performing in eight locations.

Earl Sweatshirt, Swim School, SKAAR, Fiona-Lee, Chubby Cat and Somebody’s Child are among the acts set to perform at Radar.

Venues include Frame, Gonzo, Zukunft, Bar 3000, Alte Kaserne, Waxy Bar, Plaza and Longstreet Bar.

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