How to Set up your Own Music Festival

Setting up your own music festival is a great idea for someone who loves music and is thinking about starting their own business. Music festivals are a great place for people to have fun, meet new people and experience new things.

Starting your own music festival will allow you to get creative, and you can tailor your festival how you wish, perhaps based on your favourite type of music. To begin setting up your very own music festival, follow these steps:

Your Business Plan

Like any business start up you will need a business plan, after all, your music festival will be a business. You need to do some research on other festivals. How did other festivals make it big? Decide on what your festivals focus will be, make it unique, something that hasn’t been done already. Why should people come to your festival?

Take a copy of your business plan to the small business association. They have different programs, including loan programs that could be of help to you. Tell them what you need to start your music festival.

Get A Website

A website is essential for your music festival as this is how most people will find you, become interested in you, and purchase tickets. Having a website for any business in this day and age is essential, so make sure this is done properly. Also set up social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. This will encourage people to enquire about your festival and allow you to respond quickly.

The Rules

What rules do you think you should put in place for your festival? Festivals such as V festival do not allow you to take food or drink into the arena, but they can be purchased once inside. Your rules should be clearly stated so that anyone thinking of purchasing a ticket will be aware before they buy. You don’t want to take the fun out of your festival by banging on about the rules, but be sure to make them clear.

Choose a Location

Once you’ve got an idea of your budget, have a look at potential venues for your festival. This is where you can be unique. Depending on the type of artists you wish to attend, you could hold it in an area ideal for them.

Find a PR person

You will need someone who can get in touch with musical talent. A Music PR would be the best person to hire/approach as they will have the best contacts for the best bands. They will need to entice these bands or artists by talking about what performing at the festival can do for them. Do you have lots of space for them to sell merchandise? Talk about the things you have to offer them.

Set up for the Festival

Once everything else is in place you need to set up for your festival. You will need to install music equipment of a high quality if you haven’t already. Amps, mics, sound engineer, lighting equipment and much more. You’ll also need places for people to sit, places where they can pitch tents and of course the famous portable toilets. You could arrange to set up concession stands near to where band merchandise will be sold – a brilliant way to make extra cash.