Festival Life: What Your Music Festival Of Choice Says About You
It’s that time of year again, when all music festivals rush to flaunt their most important marketing tool: the artist lineup.
If you’re on any social media channel, there’s little doubt you missed the impressive and diverse 2015 lineups. No matter your taste in music, there’s something for you.
So, the quintessential question for the festival-goer now comes to mind: Which music festival is worth your rent money this year?
That depends on who you are...
Coachella 2015
- You could be a true hippie, itching to see the undercard.
- You could be a pseudo-hipster/West Coast, middle class music enthusiast.
- Either way, you love to live large, and for a large price. It is unquestionably worth it.
If you’re on the West Coast and EDM isn’t your thing, this is the festival for you. From BBC Radio 1 winner Caribou to ground-shaking AC/DC, Coachella is the first music festival of 2015 to drop a heavy-hitting lineup.
Oh, and the fact that it’s also a breathtaking art festival can’t be overlooked. But, good luck getting sold-out tickets, which notoriously sell for many times above the market rate.
Ultra Music Festival 2015
- You could be a South Florida native, in which case it’s a rite of passage.
- You could be an international fan, who literally flew halfway around the world.
- Regardless, you love EDM so attending the genre’s biggest week is non-negotiable.
Ultra Music Festival is the biggest EDM festival on the planet. The infrastructure and stage productions constantly redefine the festival experience (see: “Mega-Structure”).
Its sheer influence gave birth to “Miami Music Week,” which is the EDM industry focal point, where all electronic artists converge for an entire week.
The city atmosphere at this time is nonpareil. A free Fool’s Gold show? Absolutely. Just watch out for the meme-worthy bros.
TomorrowWorld 2015
- You could be a pioneer. No, literally, if you attended last year, you received an email from TomorrowWorld that dubbed you a “pioneer.”
- You could be the casual EDM music-festival enthusiast ready to give camping a go.
- But above all, what you seek most is the fully immersive experience, rightfully expected from Tomorrowland’s sister festival.
As far as camping experiences go, TommorowWorld stands alone. From an erupting volcano-like main stage to a mesmerizing, surround sound trance stage, ID&T extends its immersive brand from the stage to the infamous laser bridge like no other.
The official campsite name is aptly named “Dreamville,” and even that is an understatement — "completely immersive" is more appropriate.
If you’re curious about camping, but aren’t comfortable with notion of surviving it out with the Bonnaroo or Electric Forest veterans, then TomorrowWorld is for you.
Bonnaroo
- You like a diverse lineup, ranging from Deadmau5 to Kendrick Lamar to Slayer.
- You thrive in an equally eclectic crowd; there are no stereotypical festival-goers here.
- Most importantly, you’re just excited to join a community of audiophiles.
You’re prepared for the unexpected. Or, most likely, you flat-out don’t care, as long as you get to see great, diverse music.
Under the Tennessee sky, artists from all genres meet in the sparse camping grounds of Manchester.
With a diverse lineup and community feeling, Bonnaroo does right by many fans. Need proof? YouTube Pretty Lights' "I Know The Truth," performed at Bonnaroo.
EDC Las Vegas
- You live for EDM.
- Money isn’t a big deal for you. Let's face it: You’re going to Las Vegas.
- This isn’t your first electronic festival.
It’d be the Ultra of the west coast if it weren’t for Pasquale Rotella’s unrelenting commitment to the headliner (his name for “fans”).
This is a classic electronic music festival that, year after year, puts on massive performances. EDC Las Vegas, once again, sold out tickets in a matter of minutes.
It has undoubtedly been one of the crowning titans of the music festival scene for the last decade; you can’t go wrong here.
Admittedly, there's no right or wrong answer. Every festival appeals to a different segment of the overall market by providing diverse lineups, the natural time decay of existing brands, location and lodge, and stage-only production versus immersive experiences.
Talk to your crew, which festival will make the cut this year?
