OPINION
Promoters are taking risks and it ' s paying off
Sharing observations from a summer of live events, We Group CEO Nick Morgan outlines how a new generation of promoters could change the game.
The risk around producing festivals in today ' s climate is no newsflash to any of us in this industry but the fact that independent promoters are taking more risks, and it is paying off, is something to pay attention to.
Independent festivals and live events continue to make up a significant part of the UK market. The Association of Independent Festivals( AIF) represents over 170, many of which absolutely smashed it out of the park this year.
Green Man sold out in less than two hours and welcomed 5-star reviews; End of the Road celebrated 20 years with a star-studded line up led by Pulp, CMAT, Mac DeMarco and Geese; while Shambala was praised for its " distinct talent and sonic craftsmanship ".
Across 25 shows that our teams delivered in just 16 days this summer, what struck me wasn ' t simply that independent events were surviving – it was the strength of the audiences turning up for them.
Further success stories came from promoters breaking new ground. Over one May weekend, Leyton Jubilee Park hosted three large-scale events – the inaugural Boa Nova Festival, Forward Motion in the Park and Eastern Electrics Presents Argy vs ARTBAT. Between them, these promoters brought Brazilian music and culture, house and electronic music to a site that hadn ' t previously hosted events of this kind at this scale.
That ' s the sort of risk-taking that keeps the sector interesting. It ' s not simply about putting another festival into the calendar; it ' s about identifying an audience, understanding what they want and being prepared to build something specifically for them.
Elsewhere, Field Maneuvers has shown that growth doesn ' t have to mean losing what made the festival special in the first place. Founded by a group of friends who still describe the event as a " no frills rave ", Field Maneuvers has built an incredibly loyal community around an intimate experience, starting at under 500 and selling out to 1,600 attendees this year – maintaining their values around inclusivity and community that keep festivalgoers returning year-on-year. Audiences are seeking out that independence more than ever. It ' s not just about who is promoting the event or what ' s on the line-up; people increasingly care about the wider experience and the values behind it. That extends to the brand partners festivals choose to work with, the traders they bring on site and even the food and drink they serve.
One festival that grabbed the attention of press and shows an evolution in the independent model is Halo, an inaugural festival that we produced in collaboration with software company Halo.
The Ipswich-based company admit they had no previous experience in delivering live events but the brand recognised the value in creating a live experience not only for the attendees and potential customers, but as a powerful marketing investment for the company, creating long-term value that extends well beyond the event itself.
The team took the risk, and it paid off. Halo sold out its 10,000-capacity debut and received rave reviews,
Nick Morgan
“ THAT’ S THE SORT OF RISK- TAKING THAT KEEPS THE SECTOR INTERESTING.”
with even the artists praising its " incredible " debut in the press. It shows that the next generation of independent promoters won ' t necessarily come from the traditional festival world. I think we ' ll see more brands and smaller organisations investing in authentic, in-person experiences and building communities of their own.
Independents cannot outspend the major players, but they don ' t need to. Their strength is being close enough to understand what they want, while being agile enough to act on it. Promoters that nurture that relationship with their community are the ones that will continue to thrive.
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