house at Secret Garden Party , I ’ m still the production manager for the festival and the key production team remains the same .
SGP tickets have sold out , was that expected ? I did think we would come back with a bang and sell out , but I didn ’ t expect us to sell out so quickly . Originally , we were going to do up to four tickets for
James Brennan
The Saturday Spectacle at Secret
Garden Party
each of those that registered , but as more than 70,000 people signed up for what would have been 280,000 tickets , we had to limit it to two tickets per person . Technically , we were sold out in under a minute but I guess it was under 10 minutes on paper .
What is the event ’ s capacity this year ? We have a licence for 32,000 . In 2017 , we had three entertainment arenas and a 30,000 capacity ; this year it ’ s two and the capacity is 20,000 . We wanted to bring the show a little more back to its roots . Heading past 20,000 people always loses a bit of the magic and intimacy .
“ It ’ s nice to see that our little independent party represents such a threat to the majors .”
What are the biggest challenges involved in being an independent in a market where majors such as Superstruct , Live Nation and AEG carry so much weight ? Suppliers and contractors have never been a problem , our relationships go further than simply being offered multiple shows . However , booking talent still throws up its challenges . As I mentioned before , on wanting to create a fully “ secret ” garden party , we decided to not announce any of our line-up . Guests will only be told who is playing , and at what time and stage , when they arrive onsite , nothing before . Headliners on the main stage are a guarded secret until they walk out on stage . Part of why we wanted to do this , was to try and deal with exclusivity issues . So , if I have a show that sold out a year in advance , in under a minute , with no artist announced whatsoever , then there shouldn ’ t be an issue if a band is on an exclusive in this case , right ? Is it f ** k . Still , it ’ s nice to see that our little independent party represents such a threat to the majors .
What are the advantages of independence ? Creativity , creativity and creativity . It ’ s nice not to be stifled , even if majors don ’ t want it to be that way . But mostly being independent means just that ; you get to go your own way and be unique .
What has it been like getting back in the saddle , as it were , and getting events up and running after the long pandemic shutdown ? I worked on productions throughout the pandemic but it was all pro bono . Half the time was spent on seemingly endless rescheduling and rebudgeting and the other half dealing with councils and public health . I managed to do the Red Rooster festival in 2021 but not much else . It is a great relief to know that the events will all happen this summer and that the spectre of lockdown has gone .
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