Is Live-Streaming Music Festivals the New Normal?

The concept of live-streaming music festivals has been around for a while, however, while everyone is stuck at home in the middle of a global lockdown it has become more of a “need of the hour”. With the recent NH7 Weekender #HappyAtHome, Houseparty #InTheHouse, and the #SGNProm by Some Good News bringing artists performing in their living rooms to your personal devices, live-streaming artists performing surely seems to be the way forward!

For most festival goers, live-streaming of a music festival isn’t exactly a brand new concept. In fact, what started off with Boiler Room streaming their event with a webcam taped to the wall of a disused boiler room, has now become almost an industry-standard involving multiple camera angles and drone shots!

But as any person who has been to a music festival would tell you, the experience isn’t just about the music; it’s about the people at the festival. The primary reason people go out for music festivals is to vibe with people who have similar taste in music. For a lot of people live-streaming festival feels like going from a FESTIVAL to a party-of-one; on the other hand, people who are just there for the music cherish the possibility of skipping all the cues and the unnecessary (and overpriced) plastic water bottles!

Thanks to the Fyre Festival documentary, everyone knows that a festival isn’t just about the crowd, or just about the music! There are a lot of logistical responsibilities that come along with organising a music festival of any scale. These logistical responsibilities often overlook the environmental damage that is caused by overlooking small choices. Major music festivals like Coachella generate over 96000 kgs of waste per day on average! For some perspective, that is the weight of a fully-loaded Boeing 757 (including its 300 passengers!). With tens of millions of people attending festivals all around the globe, energy consumption becomes a major issue. Essentially, off-the-grid music festivals are almost entirely powered by the nonstop burning of diesel fuel. A British Think Tank estimates that 5 million litres of fuel is used per year by U.K.festivals alone. Travel and tailpipe emissions are also major areas which are grossly overlooked!

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Change is inevitable. Progress is a choice.⁠

⁠⁠Normal wasn’t working. This is our second chance to adapt to a new normal that’s better for the planet!⁠