EUROPE: PlayPass – the European RFID and cashless payments provider – has congratulated a number of its festival partners that took home trophies at last week’s European Festival Awards. These include: Hörstmann Unternehmensgruppe (Germany), winners of Promoter Of The Year – the producers of Melt!, Splash!, Lollapalooza Berlin and the Berlin Festival, all of which use PlayPass’ RFID Cashless system. Rock Werchter (Belgium), winners of Artists’ Favourite Festival, who use PlayPass’ RFID access control and crew accreditation systems. Lollapalooza Berlin (Germany), winners of Best New Festival. Jean-Louis Brossard and Béatrice Macé, founders of Les Transmusicales de Rennes, who won the…
Author: Festival Insights
The 30th anniversary of the European emerging talent festival Eurosonic Noorderslag occurred from January 13 – 16 in Groningen, The Netherlands. It stayed true to its ethos of stimulating the circulation of European music by showcasing 345 European acts, among which 34 were from the 14 countries within the CEE focus region. During the day, 124 international professionals from 40 countries participated in the Eurosonic Noorderslag conference and European Production Innovation Conference (EPIC) in order to network and discuss all the latest developments in the European music industry. The 7th edition of the European Festival Awards took place on the…
EUROPE: We are Europe is the newly-created association of eight major European events joining forces in order to promote, create and produce innovative cultural practices, defined by creative diversity and exchanges. Its common project aims to develop a prospective vision of electronic culture, technology and entrepreneurship, contributing to new social and political developments with an interdisciplinary approach. The primary commitments of the new association are as follows: Putting forward a new generation of European cultural and independent change-makers, who will be tomorrow central to cultural strategies and issues. Contributing to the re-mobilisation of citizens in building the European project by…
USA: A key player in the adoption of RFID technology at live events, ID&C has supplied more than 10 million ‘smart’ RFID wristbands to festivals since 2011 and has now announced the expansion of its global operation with the opening of a new US office. Based in Sarasota, Florida, ID&C’s new office opened its doors on January 4 and welcomes an experienced team headed-up by Caleb Jones. A previous employee of festival mobile app company Aloompa and native Floridian, Jones brings over five years’ experience in live music and international business development to the company. ID&C Director Steve Daly commented:…
UK: Since its inception in 2012, VAULT has hosted over 250 productions – from outrageous comedy acts to hard-hitting political theatre and experimental new work from Britain’s most exciting emerging artists. 2016 promises to deliver another feast for the body, soul and mind with an international array of performances exploring themes such as gender, mental health, conflict and much more. The myriad of shows on offer includes ‘Squidboy,’ starring award-winning physical theatre performer Trygve Wakenshaw, in which an imaginary friend creates its own imaginary friends. Audiences will be taken through a world of wheelchairs and blow up dolls in a…
UK: The annual two-week Cambridge Science Festival, which will run from March 7 – 20 and stage more than 300 events, will this year examine the growing interaction between humans and technology. The festival will pose the questions: Will artificial intelligence be superior to or as creative as the human brain? Are we letting machines take over and give rise to mass unemployment or worse? Should we be worried about quantum computing and the impact it will have on the way we work, communicate and live in the future? Or should we harness rather than hate the digital deluge? As…
SPAIN: Primavera Sound will return to Barcelona from June 2 – 4, with Radiohead, LCD Soundsystem, and PJ Harvey set to perform, amongst many others. Also included on the line-up are: Tame Impala, Sigur Rós, Animal Collective, Beach House, the Last Shadow Puppets, Brian Wilson (performing Pet Sounds), John Carpenter, Pusha T, Neon Indian, Ty Segall and the Muggers, Julia Holter, Savages, Air, Action Bronson, Vince Staples, Explosions in the Sky, Moderat, Drive Like Jehu, Dinosaur Jr., Deerhunter, Chairlift, Kamasi Washington, Battles, Thee Oh Sees, Holly Herndon, Protomartyr, Sheer Mag, DJ Koze, Empress Of, Beirut, Dâm-Funk, Parquet Courts, Shellac, Hudson…
BELGIUM: The 5000-capacity Extrema Outdoor (XOBE) will once again transform Belgium into the entrepôt of electronic music on July 9, and has announced many of its acts, club partners and details. For over twenty years, the festival has imported the spirit of Ibiza into the Netherlands. In 2011, the European Festival Awards granted the brand the Best Newcomer accolade for its inaugural Belgian incarnation. The season opener for many locals and ‘The Quality Music Holiday’ for techno tourists, XOBE provides an open and shut case for what a seminal dance party should be. Since its inception working with esteemed electronic…
UK: Towersey Festival has announced that Billy Bragg, The Wonder Stuff, Kate Rusby and Midge Ure are among the headline acts lined up for its 52nd edition, set to take place from August 26 – 29. The newly confirmed headline acts will be joined by the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, Tom Robinson Band, Edward II, 9Bach, The Young’uns, Nizlopi and Nell Bryden, plus enduring Towersey favourites Roy Bailey, Rusty Shackle and Nancy Kerr and James Fagan. Towersey Festival
UK: The Northern Festivals Network has been awarded precisely £179,500 in the latest round of the Arts Council’s Strategic Touring Fund to deliver spellbinding arts programming for family audiences and build a resilient sector with increased collaboration between artists, venues and festivals until 2018. The Northern Festivals Network is led by Wild Rumpus, award-winning producers of the Just So Festival and includes some of the most exciting and varied festivals in the UK today (Cloudspotting, Festival Number 6, Fire In The Mountain, Just So, Kendal Calling, Ramsbottom Festival and Underneath The Stars). The consortium was founded by Just So, Kendal…