When Sasquatch announced last year that they wouldn’t be returning in 2019, PNW music lovers were left with a void in their hearts and calendars for Memorial Day Weekend at The Gorge. Today, End Of The Rainbow Festival has announced they are following suit before they even launch.
They cited key artist cancelations and unforeseen circumstances as the cause. Already, the Twitterverse is alive and well with angry fans that have purchased non-refundable airfare and lodging. End Of The Rainbow has also deleted their social media accounts. Most likely due to no longer staffing marketing personnel and not wanting to deal with Fyre Fest comparisons all day.
From the outside looking in, their accounts had struggled to gain traction despite mega artists on the bill like Bassnectar, Young Thug, Lil Uzi Vert, GRiZ, and more. We witnessed a lot of their Facebook advertisements filled with comments upset at a small list of artists on the lineup and simple flyer as the only marketing assets. While hip-hop and EDM mashup festivals have thrived in many markets, the comments we witnessed had us wondering if this just isn’t the right geographic market for this sort of festival.
While some music festivals have had issues, others have thrived. Rolling Loud has expanded to new areas and continued to break attendance records yet local festivals have flopped. Bumbershoot has cited lower than ever attendance with higher than ever costs. While Upstream Music Festival called it quits after two brief years.
I really never saw any video, lifestyle, or content marketing to help sell this event. In today’s day an age, building a new festival takes a lot of work. It seems like Live Nation and those behind the festival, banked on big names and Memorial Day Weekend to be the two tricks needed for attendance.
Festival prices have climbed so steep that fans have to truly save for the experiences that they want to enjoy. Thus bringing the competition away from places that you can simply drive to. Other festivals have built the rapport and depth of lineup that I wager has left fans with almost unreasonable expectations. Sad to see more music culture die in the PNW.
