With festival season back in full force, event lineups are being announced nearly every day. Concertgoers are left to analyze the dozens of bills and decide which festivals to attend. While each event may have other experiences to offer aside from the live music, the artist lineup is arguably the main factor that influences people’s decisions to purchase tickets. Therefore, if you are an event thrower, it is extremely important to put together the right artist lineup that intrigues festival-goers and influences them to attend.
Putting together the right set of artists for an event is sort of like a puzzle. It is necessary to book a variety of acts to appeal to a range of music fans. It is also necessary to stay within a budget; booking a balance of small and large artists may help you stay within budget and offer more hours of entertainment. In this article, we will focus on multi-genre festivals, however, most of these tips may apply to any type of music event.
Tips for Booking the Right Artist Lineup for a Music Festival
Photo by Colin Lloyd on Unsplash
The headliner(s) will bring in a good chunk of attendees, however, don’t spend your whole budget on headliners. Spend wisely.
The majority of music listeners only know the headlining or large performing acts, therefore, it is extremely important to have at least one very recognizable act headlining the whole festival. If it is a multi-day festival then there should be a recognizable act each day. These acts should be household names or at least names that are familiar to the majority of your target audience.
Don’t just appeal to casual music listeners; also appeal to frequent festival-goers.
Regular festival attendees are also very important to appeal to. These guys aren’t only in it for the headliners and are typically more interested in the supporting acts. Look for artists that may be small overall, but big in their respective subgenre or region. Additionally, look for artists who have a strong presence and following online. Furthermore, look for artists that are being covered by music publications and big social media accounts.
Book artists in a range of genres.
Don’t just book artists in the most popular genres. Think past mainstream pop, rock, hip-hop, and EDM. Look at subgenres and other niche genres, such as hyperpop, alternative electronic, IDM, horror-core rap, reggae, Afrobeat, and more. Find the artists that are big and trending in these specific genres.
Book artists that are currently trending.
Look through social media and see which songs and artists are trending. Who is the artist behind that viral TikTok song? Which artists are trending on Twitter? Which artists have strong and engaging fanbases on Instagram? What artist is being featured on seemingly every publication currently? Look for the artists that people are talking about and are currently excited about.
Don’t forget tribute bands.
Though it is important to book prominent acts in mainstream genres, it is also important to remember the commonly forgotten: tribute bands. Tribute bands are acts that specifically play the music of a well-known act. Commonly, tribute bands are dedicated to playing the music of one specific band or artist that was popular decades ago. Therefore, these types of bands appeal mainly to an older crowd. By booking tribute bands, you unlock a whole new audience that may now consider attending your festival. Consider looking for a tribute band booking agency to assist you with finding these acts.
Book artists through entertainment agencies.
By booking artists through an entertainment agency, the process will prove to be quicker and easier. Entertainment agencies are professionals when it comes to booking artists. They have a ton of contacts and know exactly what to say as well as what needs to be done to book an artist for an event. Furthermore, artists typically trust large agencies and ones that they have worked with before, so you may be more likely to secure the booking through an agency.
Consider who is and isn’t touring in the country at the time of your festival. Check artists touring schedules.
Firstly, don’t waste your time contacting artists who are already booked for other events on the same dates as your festival. Also, if they are touring in another country during that time then it is unlikely that they will fly to another country in the middle of it; though, it is still possible, but something to consider. Additionally, seeing who is touring in the country can show you who has open dates in their schedule and who may be nearby during your festival dates.
Don’t forget to book local acts.
Chances are, the majority of your festival attendees will be from nearby. Therefore, booking local acts will influence people in surrounding areas to attend the festival. Supporting regional artists helps influence and uplift the local music ecosystem, which will also help the festival’s growth in years to come.
