With the good weather come the most awaited music festivals. These big events are part of many cultures around the world. In fact, each country has its own big events where thousands of people come together for several days to have fun, enjoy the sun, music and good company.
The line-up, the location, the production, the technology… are factors that influence the ranking of the most famous festivals in the world. However, the main challenge for the leisure and entertainment sector is to create positive and lasting experiences among attendees in order to build their loyalty and ensure their participation in future editions. In this article we review some of the most famous international music festivals for being innovative and taking care of the user experience. Surely some of them you already know or even are in your “Bucket List”. Let’s get started!
Coachella – Indio, California
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is one of the most famous festivals in the world, not only for its spectacular concerts, but also for the great art exhibitions and the infinite number of experiences and activities they offer. It is characterized by the attendance of great celebrities who dictate what will be the festival outfits of the year.
As every year, the month of April turns the Californian desert into a real fashion runway and a place where art and design lovers coexist with music lovers from all over the world.
Glastonbury – United Kingdom
The United Kingdom also has one of the most famous festivals in the world: the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, a festival where major international pop/rock artists headline and put on great shows for four or five days.
Since its founding in 1970, it is not only a musical but also an artistic festival characterized by its ecological awareness. Its location is possibly the most particular feature of the event, because every year it takes place at Worthy Farms, a farm where hundreds of cows live.
Tomorrowland – Belgium
We can not forget Tomorrowland, the international music festival par excellence, and that every lover of electronic music knows. It is one of the biggest music events in the world that stands out for its spectacular performances and a majestic staging full of magic and fantasy.
Every July thousands of people of different nationalities travel to Boom, Brussels, to enjoy the biggest festival in the world. The way you receive your ticket is, without a doubt, the prelude to what Tomorrowland encompasses, a show full of surprises. The wristband, or ticket, is sent to your home in a package that changes its design every year according to the theme of that edition.
Lollapalooza – Chicago
Another festival that enters the ranking of the most popular festivals worldwide is Lollapalooza. The main difference of this event is that it is held in different cities to facilitate access to its audience.
It is an event where different types of musical genres such as rock, electronic or indie music coexist. Its large dimensions and the essence of youth culture play a fundamental role in making it one of the most important music festivals founded in Chicago, United States.
Innovation, a key factor in the success of music festivals
There is a common denominator among the world’s most famous festivals that guarantee their success year after year: innovation. Since we live in the era of digitalization we have become accustomed to living surrounded by changes and novelties that help us in our daily tasks, from a new mobile app to artificial intelligence applied to many sectors.
In the leisure and entertainment sector, digital transformation is also evident. Meeting attendees’ expectations is no easy task, as they are increasingly looking for unique experiences. It is no longer a matter of handing out offers or gifts, but of using all the technological advances and making the experience during the event as fun as possible. In this way, we can build loyalty and get people to repeat in future editions. We tell you some of the innovations that are being carried out within the festival sector worldwide.
NFC technology
The vast majority of festivals use smart wristbands as a way to validate an attendee’s access. Undoubtedly, this is a very convenient solution that offers many more advantages than a simple access control. The quantification of data in real time, the reduction of queues, the increase in sales or security are some of the functionalities offered by this technology in the form of an NFC chip integrated in the wristbands.
Cashless payments
Festivals are one of the sectors that most use contactless and cashless payment methods. It highlights the ability to create user experiences where security, convenience and big data are allied with attendees and event promoters themselves.
Cashless technologies come with the event wristbands. The public no longer has to wait in long lines at bars to consume, they just have to bring the wristband close to the smart POS and just worry about having fun!
Marketing for events
Communication between companies and users is no longer unidirectional, but has become bidirectional. Interaction with our target audience is essential since it offers us, as promoters, very valuable information while providing them with trust.
Leading festivals are developing their own mobile applications that allow them to maintain this reciprocal communication as well as achieve great brand activations.
Music festivals are challenged to offer more than quality artists or amazing attractions. Good organization and the use of cutting-edge technology is imperative to achieve a longer lasting experience for attendees. Join the technological revolution and contact Gofun to make your festival a truly unforgettable experience. Start your digital leap!