Industry heavyweights unite for Just Vote campaign

Music festival industry heavyweights are uniting to encourage 18-34 year olds to vote in next month’s UK general election.

Taking place just days before the country goes to the polls, Glastonbury Festival will host an exclusive, interactive ‘Crash the Party’ on site installation, reminding festivalgoers to turn out to vote the week after the event.

Glastonbury and Crash the Party are also running a competition to win two tickets to this year’s festival, where entrants who are registered to vote and sign up for reminders about key election moments could be in with a chance of heading to Worthy Farm.

The Crash the Party movement is part of Just Vote – a campaign urging young people to get out and vote on 4 July. Melvin Benn, MD of Festival Republic, which runs Reading & Leeds Festival, is among the industry leaders throwing their support behind the Just Vote campaign.

“Reading & Leeds are among the country’s biggest gatherings of young people and sit at the very heart of our youth culture,” says Benn. “In bringing these festivals to life I have the privilege of witnessing the next generation’s energy and passion first-hand and it is vital that their voices be heard at the general election. The music industry has always been an important force for positive change and working with Just Vote is a great way to empower our audiences to channel their energy into exercising their democratic right at this historic moment.”

Festival Republic is also providing tickets as competition prizes, only available for entry to those who are registered to vote.

“This is the most important general election of our lifetime, and the UK music scene has immense cultural influence which can mobilise young people”

The brainchild of green entrepreneur Dale Vince, Just Vote will feature visuals created by advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi.

“We’re grateful to Festival Republic, Glastonbury and all the participating festivals for throwing their weight behind Just Vote,” says Vince. “This is the most important general election of our lifetime, and the UK music scene has immense cultural influence which can mobilise young people to make their voice heard on 4 July.

“We’re also calling on the UK’s musicians to use your platforms to rally young people to register and then get out and vote. Artists playing these festivals – if you see this please get involved and help spread the word about the Just Vote campaign: the future of our country depends on young people having a say.

“Last year, a single post by Taylor Swift got 35,000 Americans registering to vote. We in the UK have such a long history of mobilising people through music, so there’s no reason our home grown talent shouldn’t be doing the same.”

Crash the Party Participants to date include: 4AD, Acid Box Promotions, A Greener Future, Anjunadeep Open Air London, Association of Independent Festivals, Association of Independent Music, Beggars Group, Believe, Belladrum Festival, Bella Union, Boomtown Festival, Carl Loben, Editor DJ Magazine, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Creative Zero, Deer Shed Festival, Drift Records, ERA, EarthPercent, The FAC, The F List , Festival Republic, Forwards Festival, Glastonbury Festival, Green Gathering Festival, Heavenly Recordings, In Place of War, IQ Magazine, Ivan Milivojev, John Robb, Kilimanjaro Live, KMJ Entertainment, LIVE, Love Saves The Day Festival, LS Events, Matador Records, MMF, Modern Sky Records, Music Declares Emergency, Music Venues Trust, NNA, Ninja Tune, Night Time Industries Association, The O2, OVO Arena Wembley, Proper Productions, Reading & Leeds Festival, Rough Trade, Save Our Scene, Secret Garden Party, Silver Hayes, Sound City, Stephen Budd Music, Superstruct, Team Love, UK Music, UK Music Futures Board, WOMAD, XL Recordings, Xtra Mile Recordings, Young Recording.

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