Are you getting ready to plan your very own music festival? Music festivals are a great way to support a cause, promote a new band or album, and simply to bring people together.
But planning a major event like a music festival requires more than booking some good bands.
It may surprise you the amount of work and planning that goes into pulling off a successful event. Not to worry! Here are 5 essential things you shouldn’t forget when planning your ultimate music festival.
1. Find Funding
All music festivals require some kind of funding and volunteer workers. If you’re putting on a festival to support a cause, you can probably find donors among local business owners.
Some cities and states even have special grants specifically designated for music festivals and concerts. You could find great financial help via municipal sources as well.
As far as volunteers go, get the word out. If you have something to offer volunteers like service hours, guest admission, or cool memorabilia, it may be easier to find those willing to help.
2. Choose the Right Location
Sure, there are plenty of successful music festivals in history that have taken place out in the sticks. But let’s be real. Unless you’ve booked Taylor Swift, you need to make the location semi-accessible to people.
You also want to give some thought to what type of feel your festival is shooting for. Are you planning a large, commercial event? Or, are you hoping for something small and intimate?
The type of feel you want will influence the ideal location for your event.
3. Get the Word Out
What good is an awesome music festival if no one knows about it? Once you have performers, licensing, location, and funding established, start marketing!
Fliers, online events, social media blasts. Target your audience where they are and let them know what your event has to offer.
4. Visitor Accommodations
When we say, “accommodations,” we mean more than places for attendees to purchase water and snacks. When you’re planning a major event like a music festival you better rent a porta potty… or 20.
It’s also important to think about things like a first-aid booth. Sometimes things can get rowdy at music festivals. Even if your bands are all blue-grass, accidents happen.
It’s wise to have some kind of certified medical personal on-site to help attend to needs in case someone gets injured or sick.
5. Get Your Permits
One of the worst things for novice event planners is to pour your soul into planning an event and then forget to get the proper licenses and permits.
Make sure you’ve checked with the city and any other local authorities to get the go-ahead on hosting your event. There are always local rules about putting on events like these and insurance is another essential you need to have.
Plan Your Music Festival Today
Now that you’ve got the down-low on how to plan the perfect music festival, you can get started today. Of course, it always pays to start your event planning with a solid budget. From there, the rest is music history!
For more helpful ideas, hacks, and how-tos on planning a successful event or business, browse the Entrepreneurship portion of our blog.
