An article published by Waxxx Magazine
If the sheer amount of festivals which have sprung up
in various fields and cities around the UK tells us anything, it’s that there
is something about music festivals that we just can’t get enough of. Another
thing that us British can’t get enough of, if stereotypes are anything to go
by, is queing – a phenomenon which we have become known for taking quite
seriously. The two combined, however, led to disaster on Friday 6 July as Bloc
Weekend was shut down, before leading the organizers to declare administration,
due to overcrowding that brought London Pleausre Gardens to a stand still. The
event was cancelled on its opening evening by the organizers at the festival’s
first time in London who, in a statement released hours later, insisted that ‘safety of those attending is our primary
concern at all times.’
Looking back at Bloc, a festival which provided an
eclectic line-up of artists across the field of electronic music including
Flying Lotus, Four Tet, and an appearance from Snoop Dogg, it is difficult to
see where things went wrong. Those attending the event on Friday evening blamed
incomplete, or not yet started, construction as the cause of Bloc’s problems which
would only have added to claims made by the Metrpolitan Police that the rain
created heavy congestion in certain areas of the site. One thing seems certain,
however, it was not the problem which some festivals have had in the last few
years of simply not receiving enough ticket sales. In fact, weekend Bloc
tickets had sold out prior to the event whereas some festivals this year, such
as Knebworth’s Sonisphere, failed to attract the attention which they had done
in the past.
What’s more, Sonisphere isn’t alone as newly emerging
festivals vow to offer a unique experience which can rival the more traditional
music festivals. With rising ticket prices and rocketing costs for food and
drink at many events, it really isn’t any surprise that the music festivals
which offer, well just that, are suffering. It’s a decline that has been noted
by Glastonbury’s Michael Evis who feared the demise of his festival in the next
‘three or four years’, asserting his
belief that ‘people have seen it all with
festivals. They want something else.’[1]
In a time when people have to choose more carefully what it is they want
from their festival experience, it is the likes of Bestival and Lattitude,
festivals which offer a thorough bill of entertainment on their roster as well
as a wide range of music, which are seeing a rise in their ticket sales year
after year.
The competition from abroad is also a factor in the
decline of homegrown festivals as the likes of Croatia’s Hideout or Outlook, or
Spain’s Innovation in the Sun don’t have to contend with the great British
weather; the severity of which brought an untimely end to this year’s
Creamfields in Cheshire. Music festivals have become summer holidays to many
and the appeal of music in the sun, in a different country, has appealed to
many who dream of hanging up their wellies and escaping the mud. That said,
Bloc did sell a substantial amount of tickets as a result of offering an
unflinching bill of music. What failed this festival was poor organisation and
planning as they ventured from their usual venue, Pontin’s holiday park, to
London Pleasure Gardens. The poigniant point to take from this, perhaps, is
that in a climate where many smaller festivals are struggling to keep up, it is
important for those which do receive interest to get it right.
After all, interest in the British music festival
certainly isn’t a lost cause. With such a large amount on offer ticket drops
are to be expected as competition rises and, more importantly, variety in our
music festivals increases. Such variety is something the British festival scene
can be proud of as events that offer an array of talent stand up well alongside
more specialized festivals such as Creamfields or Download, ensuring that, with
careful planning, any festival-goer can have a unique experience in the UK.
Even after tickets sold out for this year’s Bestival, which coincidentally was
lucky enough to be drenched in sunshine, Rob da Bank made the decision to
stream live sets of artists such as The xx, New Order and Stevie Wonder on
Youtube, making Bestival the first British festival to provide a service which
the likes of Tomorrowland and Coachella have been doing for some time, exposing
our love of music to the world. The popularity of the music festival may be
under threat, but with the likes of Glastonury, Reading and Leeds, and a wealth
of festivals which have gained an international reputation for their successes,
the British festival is far from dead.
