Brand New Focus
The past year has seen some of the UK ’ s biggest festivals and events forge new headline sponsorship deals with companies that thrived during the pandemic . Access explores how the festival sector is working with brand partners to not only support the events financially , but enhance the experience while not alienating talent or ticket buyers
Words : Christopher Barrett
After a tumultuous and financially destructive year for the live events industry , all sources of revenue are vital not least sponsorship and brand partnerships . The return of live events this year has come with a flood of new major sponsorship deals , many of which are with companies that emerged and / or thrived during the pandemic .
It ’ s hard to recall a time when more festivals have been the subject of new naming rights partnerships . In May , Live Nation announced it had partnered with online used car marketplace Cinch for it to become the headline sponsor of no less than five of its festivals .
The multi-year deal has seen Cinch become the official headline sponsor of Latitude , Creamfields , TRNSMT , Isle of Wight Festival and Edinburgh Summer Sessions . The partnership marks the first time one brand has headlined across five Live Nation UK festivals .
Last month , the promoter announced it had struck a deal with rapid grocery delivery firm Zapp to become the headline sponsor of Wireless Festival .
Meanwhile , AEG Europe has also been busy with brands old and new . In September it announced a headline sponsorship deal with Volvo that has seen its Eden Project concert series
Delivery firm Zapp sponsored Wireless Festival
in Cornwall rebranded Eden Sessions presented by Volvo .
The return of AEG ’ s All Points East ( APE ) in August to Victoria Park in London saw the results of numerous new brand deals overseen by AEG Europe ’ s Global Partnerships division . They included an agreement with BMW UK , which launched and hosted the BMW Play Next Stage with Edith Bowman at the event . A stage mirroring the content of the BMW Play Next podcast , it featured an array of grassroots talent .
BMW also helped support sustainability at APE by supplying a fleet of BMW X5 plug-in hybrid vehicles for artist transport throughout the festival .
Another key new APE partner
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