Launching Otherlands festival
The inaugural Otherlands Music and Arts Festival was launched in Perth , Scotland , this summer . The Fair production manager Lana Elworthy reflects on the experience of producing a new festival during an incredibly challenging season
PHOTO : RORY BARNES
As a production company specialising in producing independent festivals , we ’ ve seen first-hand the struggle for independents to procure infrastructure in this demanding climate . In part due to larger events with more considerable capital returning post-pandemic , for example the Commonwealth Games and Glastonbury . At points , it felt impossible to compete with .
When Edinburgh-based promoters Fly asked us to team up to produce this show , we knew it would be unique . There wasn ’ t anything like it on offer in Scotland and we were excited to be part of bringing something fresh and exciting to such an iconic venue .
Otherlands promised to be a new type of festival for the area , not only offering music , but wellness treatments , comedy , art and workshops . Being 2022 , the lead up to this show was not without its challenges . With the combination of a brand-new independent festival , a year of slow ticket sales and increased costs in every department , we felt the odds were stacked against us at times .
Five years after the Fly team originally dreamt up Otherlands , infrastructure , staffing and haulage costs have increased beyond belief . At one point , we struggled to find fencing and came close to paying triple what we would have just a year previously , purely due to the increase in haulage .
Then came the ticket sales . 2021 was seen as a hugely successful season for promoters . This year in comparison , tickets across all types of events have been slow to move . Shows weren ’ t selling out as consumers knew they could get tickets through the secondary market leading to a churn rather than an increase in sales . It led to many cancellations across the UK . Understandably , promoters and event organisers everywhere were feeling nervous .
We ultimately decided to reduce the event ’ s footprint to make savings , which we know many festivals unfortunately had to do this year . We wanted to ensure that we delivered the best event and future-proofed the festival . There were many things we
weren ’ t willing to sacrifice . We kept what made Otherlands special at its core , the creative production , the ample facilities , the wellness area and the diverse programming .
Despite the challenges , it was a spectacular three days and three nights of arts , music and culture . We made the most of what was available to us locally . Luckily for us , Scotland has talent by the bucket load .
We were very fortunate to have many fantastic companies and suppliers based in Perth and the surrounding areas , which had exactly what we needed . Presumably , some were born out of T in the Park , the 70,000-cap camping festival which for 17 years was just a few miles down the road from our site . Our plumbing supplier Tempsite is based just eight miles away . Our cabin supplier Scotbox , just three .
The result ? Rave reviews , more than £ 1 million generated for the local economy , and over 400 jobs for the community .
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