Before the impact of technology, music festivals were organised using posters and word of mouth, artists would perform and not a single phone or camera would be in sight, and all that would be left to remember the event was the memory you had in your mind. In the present day, it’s much different. Now technology has completely taken over, and whilst most people see this as a bad thing, sometimes it can have incredible benefits.
So let’s look at how technology has transformed live events, helping us understand what the future could be like for music festivals and concerts.
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Why are virtual concerts good?
The improvement of tech has changed WHERE we watch artists perform live. As well as live, in-person concerts, many big artists are now doing virtual concerts and festivals where you can experience live music from the comfort of your home in an all-new immersive experience. Although still considered quite new, these virtual reality concert festivals operate by giving musicians special equipment to help record and stream their performances. Numerous cameras, high-quality mics and professional lighting are used to make you feel like you are standing there in front of the stage.
Many VR concerts are set up to be compatible with VR headsets, so you can zone out of your living space and feel like you are part of the crowd. These experiences are great as they are much cheaper and easy to attend, plus still offer that festival performance feel.
What is the AR photo experience at a concert?
And if you happen to attend a real-life festival this summer, there are still plenty of ways technology can influence your experience. There are many elements of augmented reality available at most festivals, from interactive art installations and virtual stages to AR activations, so if you don’t happen to get the best view there are still plenty of ways to make sure you see your favourite artist up close!
Whilst these experiences usually have a slight upcharge, they are never too expensive and can be great for creating lasting impressions on your festival experience. Please note not all festivals offer these types of experiences, so make sure you check the festival's official website to see if any additional experiences and opportunities are available.
What are the benefits of live streaming?
Mobile phones have seriously impacted the way we view a festival. Many attendees spend their time at festivals live streaming the performances, so if you didn’t manage to get tickets or perhaps you didn’t reach the set in time and you are sat in your tent, you still have the opportunity to watch the performance live, maybe even with a better view than most people in the crowd!
Remember, some festivals have a strict policy about live-streaming acts on stage, so it is always a great idea to take a look at their official websites to ensure you don’t end up getting kicked out or removed from the performance.
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Why is social media important in events?
Continuing with how mobile phones have impacted our viewing of a festival performance, this is the same when it comes to social media. When you scour a crowd at a festival, usually it is filled with hundreds and hundreds of phones capturing the performance from thousands of angles and distances. This means, as an individual you don’t need to film the performance yourself, as you know in hours the same show you just watched will be plastered all over TikTok and Instagram.
So we recommend not filming the performance, enjoy the music and the moment without worrying about getting the perfect angle and lighting, you can guarantee someone will post a perspective of the performance on social media right from where you’re standing for you to check out later.
What is the app for festival timetables?
And finally, one of the best aspects to come out of the growth of technology when it comes to festivals and concerts is event planning. When you scroll through the app store, there are now hundreds and hundreds of event planning, time management and general festival apps that help make your experience so much better. Most festivals have their app (or at least a section on their website) explaining what time each artist is on and where, so you can pre-plan who you want to see, and when and how you are going to get there. Lots of time management apps will help you determine when the best time is to get food, how busy certain areas of a festival are and other aspects meaning you will never miss a desired performance!
Best time-management apps:
- Todoist
- Focus booster
- Clockify
- Asana
- do
- TickTick
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Conclusion:
Overall, it seems like technology has significantly impacted the way we operate at festivals and live events. It seems tech has improved the way we communicate at events, making it easier to interact with artists, watch performances and navigate through our days. There has always been a big debate over whether technology and the use of mobile phones have improved or destroyed our festival experiences, but, we will leave that opinion up to you. Do you think technology has helped make our festival experience better? We want to know in the comments!
