The Changing Face of Festivals
Posted: 6/11/2010 9:49:17 AM by
Lesa Ukman | with 0 comments
With a growing array of attractions—carnival rides, fireworks, restaurants, bungee jumping—Europe’s music festivals are looking more like theme parks.
Take Madrid’s Rock in Rio. Attendees can hit the karaoke bar, ride the Ferris wheel, rappel down a cliff or watch actors recreate the "Bed-In for Peace" staged by John and Yoko at an Amsterdam hotel during the Vietnam War in 1969. Sponsors supplied diversions too. El Corte Ingles, a major Spanish department store, staged daily fashion shows at the festival, inviting attendees to strut their stuff on the catwalk like a top model.
At England’s Glastonbury Festival, there are circus acts, “Kidzfield” and food from Michelin-starred chefs along with the music, while Dublin’s Oxegen festival has a funfair, signing tent, music workshops and hundreds of food options.
The formula seems to be working. Glastonbury is sold out and Rock in Rio Madrid is expected to conclude Monday having drawn 320,000 people—up from 290,000 when it was first staged in the Spanish capital in 2008—despite the economic downturn that has hit the country hard. General admission tickets cost 69 euros ($83) while a VIP entry is 275 euros ($333).
Oxegen reflects another big trend we’re seeing in Europe: green festivals. It is Ireland’s largest carbon neutral event and a member of the nonprofit A Greener Festival Ltd.
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Filed under: festivals, green, international, events