Big events are hugely popular, especially when it comes to music festivals. Setting up a music festival takes a lot of time and organization. Tomorrowland is one of the most iconic electronic and dance music festivals in the world. Held in Boom in Belgium, it’s host to impressive stages, varied digital artists, and a thrilling atmosphere that brings in thousands of visitors from all over. It takes place in July for two weeks and consists of 15 stages with different themes and designs. But what exactly does it take to set up an event on the scale of Tomorrowland?
How to start festival planning
There are many variables you have to take into consideration when you start planning a festival. Following a careful checklist is a good way to ensure you’ve covered everything and won’t be caught out.
Factoring in time
First and foremost, you need time when you start planning a music festival. The process can be long and arduous, which means you need to begin the process well in advance of the actual festival date. You need the time to secure a venue, book bands, sell tickets, and organize the overall infrastructure, such as equipment and staging, for the actual shows. The bigger the proposed size of the festival, the more time you likely need to get things sorted.
Set a budget
Once you’ve determined when the festival is to take place, and how long for, you need to plan a budget. You need a solid understanding of the budget required before you begin the process of setting it all up. Music festivals are costly, so make sure you get an accurate estimate of costs. This means talking to the relevant suppliers, council members, and artists to know what the ballpark figure is going to be before you really dive in. In other words, a lot of research is needed. You’ll need to keep track of all this, which is where management software and budgeting tools come in handy. Some of the best options are recommended by SaaSGenius, and can help you keep on top of all the different elements.
More research
And speaking of research, make sure you look to see what other musicfestivals are out there. You don’t want to overlap and offer a music festival that’s the same as all the others. Make sure you ask around to see what the vibe is for a festival, what people expect and so on. You should do market research to see what the locals would pay to see, and what’s popular on a wider scale if you’re aiming for a larger, Tomorrowland-style festival.
Alongside this research, you need to consider the cost of the tickets. Again, careful research and looking to see what other large festivals offer is key. You need to make sure that festival-goers will actually pay the cost of the ticket.
Finding the location
As a festival takes up a lot of space, you need to make sure you find a good venue. This is key to a successful event as it needs to be in a location that’s accessible, can have loud music into the night, and has the space to accommodate thousands of people. You need to think about capacity and how many people can be in attendance. Then, you need to carefully consider the layout and design of the festival. You shouldn’t just be thinking about the stages and the areas where the fans will be. You must also consider the backstage areas, car parking, food trucks, and additional amenities such as camping areas and toilets where necessary. To save on some costs, it can be worth looking for places with pre-existing infrastructure, such as toilets or restaurants, to make your life easier. Finally, you need to consider permits for the area and any restrictions such as noise or alcohol.
The people
Finally, you need to get in touch with the talent. Make sure the artists are available for your dates, otherwise there is no festival. And, you need to contact suppliers. These are the people who will provide the stages, lighting, security, sound, and so on. All of this needs to be done concurrently to ensure the entire festival is moving forward smoothly. Of course, this requires a lot of management, so helpful software tools are a must to get this off the ground.
