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Backstage with festival founders

What : AAA Backstage Podcast Where : Boomtown , Matterley Estate When : 9-13 August Image : Finley Sampson

Boomtown Fair cofounder and creative director Luke Mitchell is the latest festival operator to feature in Access All Areas ’ new podcast series AAA Backstage .

The podcast series meets festival founders to explore what lies behind the events and their instigators . The conversation with Mitchell was recorded while sitting on a car bonnet with a panoramic view of the festival build at Matterley Estate in the South Downs National Park , where Boomtown has been staged since 2011 .
Mitchell charts his event organising experience , including the transition from staging massive raves to the inaugural Boomtown , and the challenges of overseeing what has become one of the UK ’ s biggest festivals involving a hugely complex three-month build .
The Boomtown boss reveals the thinking behind the move to put tickets on sale this year without announcing the festival ’ s lineup , the difficulty of coping with huge costs , the enormous contribution of the festival team and his place at the centre of the “ whirlwind ”. As with all episodes , it is available to watch on YouTube or to listen to via all the main podcast platforms including Spotify , Apple and Amazon .
The first episode of the AAA Backstage podcast series was launched last month , with an interview with Secret Garden Party ( SGP ) festival founder Freddie Fellowes . Aimed at everyone involved in the burgeoning festival industry , the series of monthly podcasts is set to feature some of the sector ’ s most influential figures , with the next edition involving an in-depth interview with Green Man festival owner Fiona Stewart .
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