Festival season is upon us
We hope you got your fill of BBQ and Topo Chico at SXSW cause with its kick off in Austin, festival season 2022 is on! And with so much coming back in person we will once again experience a summer where experience, music, fashion and art come together to fuel the cultural conversation. So put on your wristband (but not too tight) and scan the QR codes, and check out what we think is in store for 2022's festivals.
A THING FOR THE FUTURE
I am excited to see more incorporations of NFTs! Following suit to Coachella's Sights & Sounds collection, fans will be able to purchase images and soundscapes of their favorite festival moments and own those memories. These NFTs could also be linked to tangible items that celebrate that memory.
- Arianna Lebed, Sr Creative Director
A THING FOR INCLUSIVITY
Over the past 2 years, there has been a magnifying glass on inclusivity. As we move into the IRL festival session, I hope to see this momentum continue and would love to see more sober spaces. It would be great to see spaces for sober attendees to meet and hang with like-minded people. Sober AF Entertainment has been producing S.A.F.E virtual music festivals with massive turnouts - so - rad.
- Brian Morgan, Sr Account Director
A THING TO BEWILDER
It will be really interesting to see how the physical and digital intermix in 2022. We have seen festivals providing access to digital universes through physical wristband QR codes and virtual tokens being used for physical gifting. I am curious to see how these worlds continue to play off each other and what surprise and delight moments they will create for the overall experience.
- Hari Maggs, Marketing Associate
A THING TO LOOK UP FOR
I can see drone light shows being a big trend this year in live music events. Think of some of the firework light shows that you saw at festivals and concerts in the past, then imagine those flying around in the air creating moving pictures and words in the sky. I think it's going to be a lot of fun to see what new kind of art is created using drones and how it adds to the concert experience.
- Fiona Micoleau, Strategy Resident
A THING TO PACK YOUR BAGS FOR
Incredible vibes await on dance floors of festivals returning post pandemic around the world. My favorite? The ones that capture the soul of their location like nothing else can. First stop Detroit, for Movement over Memorial Day Weekend. Succumb to atmosphere layered with history - rust and rejuvenation - in the birthplace of techno. Next up, Sonar in Barcelona (June 16-18), for experimental sounds and creative workshops as cool as the venues you’ll find yourself in. Close out the summer in Uganda for the Nyege Nyege Festival (dates forthcoming, typically Sept). Regional rhythms mixed with modern technology deliver an ecstatic expression of East and Central African youth. Enjoy!
- Katie Bowman, Executive Producer