So Many Options, But Are They All Essentially the Same?
by Rebekka Zuckermann Kristiansen ~ October 9th, 2012. Filed under: Music.Every year the summer comes around to everybody’s joy, and with summer comes a great many number of choices; Where do I travel this summer? What do I invest in this season? What festivals do I go to? All these choices are defined by their differences, but when it comes to travel destinations or festival options, are there really any? If I choose to attend Latitude, Roskilde, Lollapalooza or Coachella, what will the variance be – how can one festival stand out in a crowd of hundreds, even within the same genre? The same major bands will tour the same festivals, and they will all be eco-friendly and full of beers and happy people. What are the points of difference that make the few festivals (that avoid bankruptcy) succeed?
Latitude, according to The Economist, is a multi-arts festival and therefore outstanding. And perhaps this new approach to a music festival as a rounded perspective-festival provides a form of failsafe in terms of generating revenue. Regardless, I think the festival market is an example of one that has been flooded with competition to the point where there are simply too many choices. The only way out is to decrease the options – perhaps through bankruptcy or merging.