Top 13 Music Festivals Fact: What Every Music Lover Must Know About Music Festivals
“Live every day as if it is a festival. Turn your life into a celebration.” — Shri Radhe Maa
It was in the 14th century that the first recorded use of the word festival was observed, and it is said to have originated from the Latin word Festivus which is a unique holiday. There are so many various types of festivals in the world with exhibiting sometimes similar designs/patterns yet different themes from another, such as music, film, or art festivals. The organizers of music festival events bring interesting lineups of a variety of live bands, top musical artists, and Dj’s to do what they know how to do best - performing music that takes a large audience of mostly young people to cloud 9 over an extended number of days. Aside from core music, there are several other physical activities such as games, skill acquisition, hangouts, yoga classes… all of which provide opportunities for people to participate and broaden their horizons.
1. Festivals are evergreen
Festivals are evergreen for the fact this generation can relate with it though it is an ancient idea and practice dating back to the 10th century BC and beyond (almost 3,000 years ago!) Music festivals were almost as popular in ancient Greece as they are today. Competitions in music, poetry, theatre, and athletics would be included, albeit they've evolved a lot over the years. They were a big aspect of god worship, and they usually featured a procession and a sacrifice.
2. First Modern Music Festival: Woodstock
The 1969 Woodstock Music & Art Fair is largely considered to be the first modern music event. Despite the fact that more than 100,000 tickets were sold, approximately half a million people descended on the 600-acre farmland in New York. Due to a lack of time, organizers had to choose between finishing the venue's fencing and constructing the stage. They went with the second choice. Jimi Hendrix, one of the headliners, was paid $18,000. (the most out of all performers). Woodstock, which was planned to last three days but ended up becoming four, is widely considered a watershed moment in the history of popular music.
More than half a million people attended the festival to see Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, Joe Cocker, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, as the hippie movement gained traction.
3. Music Festival with Class: Freerotation
Is this the most premium festival on the planet? To attend Freerotation in Wales, UK, you must first become a member, and you must be introduced by an existing member. Members can only invite people on one day each year in April, which is determined by lottery due to a large number of applicants. Between December and May, tickets are sold in tiny batches, with members who have participated four or more times receiving preference. You will need some luck to take a chance this year.
4. The Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival
Do you want a festival that isn't on the same level as everyone else? 'Check out this underwater music event in the United States. The Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival is a one-of-a-kind annual musical concert in Florida that began more than 30 years ago for divers who wanted to ‘sea' something somewhat unique... Intriguing-looking instruments such as the ‘from bonefish,' ‘sea-phan flute,' and ‘fluke-a-lele,' have also been specifically created for the event, with all music streamed live from underwater speakers. The festival's goal is to increase awareness and encourage coral preservation, in addition to generating pleasant music.
5. Most Well-known Events In The World: Glastonbury
The first Glastonbury Festival took place in 1970, with tickets costing £1 and included free farm milk. The event was held after rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix passed away and only 1,500 people showed up at the festival. Marc Bolan, Keith Christmas, and Al Stewart were among the performers at what was once known as the Pilton Festival.
It was founded and is now hosted at dairy farmer Michael Eavis CBE's 150-acre farm in Somerset, England. Glastonbury Festival, now in its 37th year, is one of the most well-known events in the world, attracting over 175,000 visitors each year.
6. The World’s Largest Music Festival: Summerfest
Summerfest in the United States is the world's biggest music festival. Every year, about 800,000 to 1,000,000 people visit. This is a festival unlike any other, with over 800 bands and 1,000 performances spread out over 11 days. Summerfest, which is celebrating its 50th year recently, was founded to revive Milwaukee's downtown and bring the community together. The festival used to be hosted in 35 different venues across the city, but it now has its own dedicated 75-acre festival grounds.
7. Biggest Crowd: Danube Island Festival
The largest festival attendance – according to Guinness World Records – was recorded at the Donauinselfest (which is German for Danube Island Festival), that holds annually at Donauinsel in Vienna, Austria, in 2015. About 3.3 million people attended over the course of the three-day event. What an awesome largest open-air music festival in the world hosted by SPÖ Wien.
8. One World: Together at Home
A loud noise was heard by some guests during the festival, prompting many to believe there was an active shooter. It was quickly discovered that it was caused by someone treading on and popping a drink bottle. The crisis was quickly addressed, and the festival went on as planned, albeit some festivalgoers were unable to re-enter the park, and a few dozen people were hurt.
9. The World Most Remote Festival
- The Festival in the Desert in Essakane, Mali, is (possibly) the world's most remote festival. This festival, situated deep in the Sahara desert, is a must-see for music fans wishing to get off the usual path. The nearest town (which is well-known for being difficult to discover...) is half a day's drive away, or three days by camel. Due to unrest in Mali, the festival is temporarily on hold.
- The Birdsville Big Red Bash in Australia is known as the world's "most remote" music festival. It takes place in Queensland's Simpson Desert, some 1900 kilometers from Sydney, 1600 kilometers from Brisbane, and 1200 kilometers from Adelaide.
10. Oldest Classical Choral Festival In The World: Three Choirs Festival
The Three Choirs Festival, which has been held every year since 1719, is the world's oldest classical choral festival. Every summer, the festival moves between the English cathedral cities of Hereford, Gloucester, and Worcester for a week. Three Choirs' 300th anniversary was honored in 2015, and performance programs feature favorites from the British classical choral heritage as well as international pieces.
11. Farewell Tour To Fresh Start: Lollapalooza
When Jane's Addiction announced their breakup in 1991, singer Perry Farrell planned a farewell tour. However, the attendance of 250,000 people created the concept for the yearly Lollapalooza festival. Lollapalooza attracts over 400,000 attendees each year in Chicago, and the festival is currently held in six different countries.
12. Fight For Democracy: EXIT Festival
Political action inspired the award-winning EXIT festival, which took place at the Petrovaradian Fortress in Novi Sad, Serbia. In 2020, a group of student friends staged the first EXIT festival in the city's University Park, protesting for democracy and freedom in Serbia and the Balkans.
EXIT will commemorate its 20th anniversary from July 8th to 11th, 2021, after putting plans on hold last year due to Covid-19. Among the DJs already confirmed are Eric Prydz vs Four Tet, Solomon, Dennis Sulta, and Nina Kraviz. If heavy metal legends Sepultura are more your style, you may listen to them.
13. The Chilliest Ever Music Festival: SnowGlobe Music Festival
SnowGlobe Music Festival, an outdoor festival in the snow, is the chilliest music festival ever. This one-of-a-kind festival takes place in South Lake Tahoe, California, over the course of three days leading up to New Year's Eve. This is the event for skiers and snowboarders, as well as music fans with a zest for adventure because it combines outstanding artists with equally incredible snow conditions.
Honorable Mentions
Global Citizenship: The festival's objectives have indeed been tightly linked with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals since 2015. (SDGs)
Green Man: The Green Man festival, which has a long history in Wales, may be traced back to Lord Rhys' cultural competition for poets and musicians at Cardigan Castle in 1176.
Heritage: This Heritage music festival could be traced all the way back to the Pythian Games of the late sixth century BC, which has been before the Olympics! The Pythian Games ended with a day of musical competitions at Apollo's sanctuary in Delphi.
Lost Causes: It's all part of the fun to lose your friends at a festival. But how much fun do you think losing your prosthetic limb or leg would be? Prosthetic limbs are among the strange items discovered by festival clean-up crews. An urn containing human ashes is another example. If you don't want to ruin the party, don't bring up this last piece of music festival information.
Conclusion
Every music festival is enjoyable, yet it is not a new phenomenon that emerged in the late twentieth century with the hippie culture. Music festivals have multiple origins and date back more than a century. How much do you know about your favourite music festival? We hope that some of this facts have spark more interest in your mind. Music festivals are older than a hundred years old, yet there are evergreen. What other facts you know, drop them in the comment session below, let's get the conversation going.
Reference
Here are 10 music festival trivia facts you need to know
Global citizen trivia 80 facts about the famous music festival
12 facts did not know ultra music festival
