If you’re planning a festival, you might be wondering how to create an unforgettable event that not only rivals Glastonbury but surpasses it. Known for its incredible music performances and immersive experiences, Glastonbury has been a benchmark for festivals worldwide. However, with a bit of creativity and attention to detail, it’s possible to make your event even more memorable.
One way to make your festival stand out is by focusing on unique lighting options. As seen in the search results, budget-friendly lighting choices like LED uplighters, party flame torches or even just filling a marquee with fairy lights can give your event a major boost. By creating an enchanting atmosphere, you encourage festival-goers to fully immerse themselves in the music and surroundings.
Additionally, offering a diverse range of carefully planned musical acts can rival what Glastonbury has to offer. While it might seem like a daunting task, organising a line-up that caters to different tastes and genres increases the appeal of your festival, as it becomes more inclusive and versatile. In turn, this attracts a wider audience, ensuring your event’s success while providing an unmatched festival experience.
Planning and Preparation
Selecting the Right Venue
One of the initial steps in making your festival event stand out is to select the perfect venue. Look for a location that offers adequate space, parking, and facilities to accommodate your anticipated crowd.
Worthy Farm, the iconic Glastonbury Festival site, is well-known for showcasing the beauty of nature and providing convenient camping areas. Consider nearby attractions, ease of access, and surroundings that offer a unique ambiance to enhance the festival experience.
Innovative Staging and Set Design
To set your festival apart, invest in creative and eye-catching staging and set designs that utilise lighting and technology to captivate your audience. Strive to make your stages visually engaging and easy to locate by using a variety of themes, interactive installations, and immersive areas. Implement state-of-the-art audio and visual equipment to deliver a memorable experience and represent your brand identity effectively.
Comprehensive Festival Amenities
A great festival goes beyond brilliant music and performances; it also considers the essentials like food, drinks, and accommodation. Provide diverse food and beverage options catering to different tastes and dietary requirements.
Set up designated camping areas, some of which are noise-free zones, to offer variety and comfort for festival-goers to rest. Incorporate clean and accessible facilities like toilets and showers, and pay attention to the needs of individuals with disabilities.
| Amenities | Examples |
|---|---|
| Food | Pop-up restaurants, food trucks |
| Drinks | Bars, alcohol-free beverage stations |
| Camping | Quiet zones, family camping areas, VIP camping experience |
| Facilities | Toilets, showers, charging stations, first aid stations |
Engaging Line-Up and Diverse Entertainment
Curate an eclectic and irresistible line-up spanning various genres to attract a wide range of festival attendees. Alongside renowned artists, showcase emerging talents who can excite the audience with fresh sounds.
In addition, integrate engaging art installations, immersive experiences, and workshops to create a diverse and extensive programme. Foster a sense of community by involving the audience in the event planning process and encouraging input regarding performers and activities.
Enhancing the Festival Atmosphere
Encouraging A Community Spirit
Fostering a sense of community among festival-goers is paramount in creating a memorable atmosphere. Attendees should feel a connection with one another, as well as the environment they find themselves in.
To encourage this community spirit, allocate designated areas for families and friends to gather at campsites. Including a mix of activities, such as theatre and circus performances, ensures that there are options for all audience members. Don’t forget to incorporate symbols of unity, like flags, which act as visual markers of shared experiences and create lasting memories.
Immersive and Interactive Elements
It’s important to involve the audience in the event as much as possible, and interactive elements can help achieve this. Including immersive activities like workshops, open mic sessions and games allows festival-goers to actively participate in the festivities rather than merely being passive observers.
They will be more invested and feel a sense of ownership over their experience. Additionally, consider unique attractions such as the iconic cider bus or the ribbon tower that would offer both entertainment value and photo opportunities.
Focus on Visual Aesthetics
Visual aesthetics play a significant role in the overall atmosphere of a festival. Well-designed lighting and decorations contribute to the ambience and leave a lasting impression on the attendees.
Utilise fairy lights, lanterns, and illuminations to brighten up the festival grounds, particularly at night. Incorporate eye-catching visuals like large-scale art installations, which not only add visual interest but also spark conversations and delight amongst festival-goers. A carefully curated visual environment keeps the atmosphere vibrant, preparing the stage for unforgettable experiences.
Sustainability and Responsibility
Music festivals, like any large-scale event, have a significant impact on the environment. To make your festival better than Glastonbury in terms of sustainability and responsibility, you’ll need to focus on eco-friendly initiatives and safety and welfare measures.
Eco-friendly Initiatives
Go plastic-free: Reducing single-use plastics is a major concern in today’s world. Glastonbury took a significant step by banning the sale of single-use plastic bottles, preventing the use of over one million plastic bottles. Emulate this by encouraging reusable containers and providing water refill stations throughout your festival grounds.
Promote public transport: Encourage festival-goers to use public transport, carpooling, or shuttle services like Big Green Coach to reduce their carbon footprint. Glastonbury witnessed 40% of its attendees arriving using public transport, which is an example to follow.
Renewable energy: Power your stages and facilities with renewable energy sources. Glastonbury has used wind turbines to power selected market stalls in the past, while the Green Man festival employs solar panels for electricity generation.
Recycling and waste management: Implement efficient waste management systems to ensure minimal environmental impact. Provide recycling stations and engage volunteers to maintain cleanliness.
Safety and Welfare Measures
Adopt heat reduction measures: Summer festivals can be scorching hot affairs. Prioritise the welfare of festival-goers by offering shaded areas, mist tents, and ensuring an ample supply of drinking water.
Security: Ensure the safety of your attendees with effective security measures. You can achieve this by deploying a well-trained security team, setting up surveillance cameras, and employing standard search and entry procedures.
Comprehensive first-aid and medical facilities: Provide easily accessible medical facilities and first-aid stations, staffed with qualified medical professionals.
Noise control: Be mindful of noise pollution, especially in residential areas. Implement sound barriers and consider acoustic zoning to minimise disturbance to the local community.
