ABSTRACT
Festivals are a flagship of the live events and live media economy. This chapter analyses the growing business of festivals – from Coachella to Glastonbury, via Burning Man, Lollapalooza, Caochella, Cannes and the Edinburgh Fringe. The festival building process is examined through the behavioural market segmentation that drives them – literary, music, film, other special interests. It looks at their development, delivery, distribution/marketing and monetisation. Festivals with a public purpose are described, as is how that purpose may be valued. Academic research on individual festival attendance motivations and impacts is examined. Public safety, public health, education, diversity, accessibility are all included. Business models of smaller festivals are considered. There are sections on current growth of music festivals in both China and India. The chapter considers capital risk, ticketing, merchandising, franchising and licensing issues that major festivals face.
