50 Years of Music Festivals.
Fifty years ago, the world rejoiced, criticised and discovered the multiple day music festival.
Woodstock was condemned for it’s dangerous circumstances in a lack of food, water and shelter and denounced for it’s overcapacity of attendees and the associated drug use. All of these issues should have resulted in a cataclysmic melting pot of violence and property destruction, but amazingly, something magical happened over that ‘three days of peace and music.’ Love and compassion for fellow human beings radiated throughout the festival, creating a movement where people celebrated the sheer wonder of being alive and present in each and every moment. Making the devastation of the continuing war seem like a dream and distant memory - at least for those three days. Woodstock, for all it’s faults in structure and planning, turned into one of the most renowned gatherings and celebrations of music to date.
Over the fifty years since, music festivals have become a constant in the industry worldwide. They offer a chance for people to collectively share in an experience of love, human comradery and social awakening, as they once did. It offers artists a chance to be discovered and loved by a large audience, and offers brands a chance to be further recognised and to grow into new markets and territories. It is an event that inspires culture, fashion and freedom in a relatively safe, monitored environment. Music festivals themselves are a symbol of self - expression and personal taste, and now, more than ever - there is a festival that caters to every type of music lover on the planet, each held in different settings including multiple day camping in wildlands and deserts, single day stacked line-up events and bush doofs. Allowing attendees to gather friends and family, dress up and create moments that will last the next half a century.
Similar to the immediate threat facing the Woodstock patrons, the target demographic of festival patrons in today’s era are faced with looming threats of climate change, nuclear war and an overly restrictive society. These impending threats has made music festivals an incredibly unique experience that offers a break from reality and the opportunity to embrace peace, love and music. Taking the best parts of the festival culture that fostered community all those years ago, paired with procedures and a reliance on social responsibility, modern music festivals are the embodiment of an Earthly paradise. One that invokes empowerment, liberation and beauty that only comes from the purest of happiness.
The artists performing at these festivals have an integral responsibility in setting the tone, the background and the forefront for this paradise. Their music will resonate with audiences in the moment and for years to come, creating ever-lasting impressions that have the power to make life (if only in that moment) exponentially better. Event organisers have a duty to create the sanctuary of the paradise, one where availability of drinking water, bathroom facilities, food, shelter, and help is ever-present. Their responsibilities also include the assurance of a smooth running event that facilitates an all-round positive experience for all in attendance.
On the cusp of Australia’s 2019 / 2020 festival season, marking 50 years since the disastrous and equally remarkable Woodstock, all eyes are on the event promoters, organisers and artists to create a safe, well planned and executed, escape from reality at each of their festivals.