WINTER | COVER FEATURE
Download’s
international ambition
The first Download was
created by Stuart Galbraith,
Tom Pyke and Andy Copping
in 2003 in the same location
as its predecessor Monsters
of Rock. Much of the event’s
success, and perhaps ability
to adapt to multiple regions is
down to the festival’s online
boards, which feature regular
contributions from festival
director John Probyn and
promoter Andy Copping.
A Download held at the
Longchamp Racecourse
(French: Hippodrome de
Longchamp) in Paris took
place in 2016 on the same
weekend as the UK Festival.
It is now entering its fourth
year in France,
Live Nation, Unified
and Secret Sounds took
Download to Melbourne,
Australia’s Flemington
Racecourse (24 March 2018).
Last year saw Download
returning for its second
year in Spain, as Download
Festival Spain which took
place just south of Madrid
three weekends after the
Donington event (28, 29 & 30
June). Meanwhile, it has been
confirmed that Live Nation
and Creativeman Productions
will take the festival to
Makuhari Messe, located in
Chiba, on 21 March 2019.
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“Festival sites are an
important part of
the event’s DNA
and affect so many
aspects of the
experience”
— Olivia Diamond, senior
business development
manager at Shed Creative
Agency, Universal Music
Canada
massive risk, so brands franchising
a show need contracts in place,
money up front and importantly,
for the experience to be kept on-
brand.”
The heart and soul of a festival
is the community of people
who attend, and this can be a
very local niche, according to
Olivia Diamond, senior business
development manager at Shed
Creative Agency, Universal Music
Canada tells Access. “That spirit is
not necessarily replicated when the
location changes. Not to mention
that festival sites are an important
part of the event’s DNA and affect
so many aspects of the experience.
The new site needs to make sense.”
Diamond references MUTEK
(Barcelona, Montreal) as a
successful festival in multiple
markets. “The organisers are
inspired by the energy of both
cities, and the ethos of the event
– showcasing digital creativity –
resonates in both markets. There
are inherent risks when geo-
cloning a festival brand: cost, of
course, and building partnerships
that allow organisers to manage
the immense task of having two
festivals in separate markets while
maintaining the integrity of the
brand and the experience on-site.
“Brand partnerships can also be
challenging, since brands’ strategic
and budgetary plans are often
market-specific. This means an
opportunity may be appealing and
feasible for the brand in the UK but
not in Canada, for example.”
For these reasons, Ella
Nosworthy, creative director at
Nozstock Festival tells Access she’s
never seriously considered geo-
cloning. “This is partly because of
the financial risk and the unknown
market, and partly because, as a
small independent festival, we
don’t have the man power to start
from scratch in a new country.
There’s only so many hours in the
day and we pour all our love into
Nozstock. It doesn’t leave much
room for anything else.”
There’s also something
more foundational, Tofu adds,
grounded in the roots of the
festival movement. “Festivals are
a composite of all festivals and
events that have ever happened.
They contain so many tiny DNA
strands, and working practices
shared across thousands of
gigs and – if I may be so bold –
thousands of years.
“Once you get beyond the idea
that at least 90% of the world’s
festival organisers are not just out
to make cash (a good by-product)
but for wider community reasons
and cultural factors, a different
picture emerges. Quite often the
organisers are the programmers.
That is a rarefied and unique
position, and one that connects
them to the atmosphere. Even if
they don’t book the bands, they are
still the ‘vibe masters’.”
He concludes that cultural
factors also play a role, citing Italy
and France’s aversion to camping
as an example. “The English get
the award for staying out in the
worst conditions. There are just
not enough big camping events
abroad compared to here, despite
the better weather.
“Finally, the role of the media in
creating events, and the need for
young people to explore, and often
experience, their first time away
from home, is also cultural. In some
countries the young go on Summer
Camps, some go to proms, and
some don’t even have a free youth.”
While not every location is
suited to every festival, With some
regionally-specific adaptations,
the UK is well-placed to spread
its ‘event net’ wider. More often
though, we’re happy having our
festivals stay where they are. And
the great festivals we do have
might be all the stronger for it.