A stage begins that we all enjoy in a big way: the summer music festivals. At Emelec VíasCom we have a very important active participation in them and we are very excited to continue participating more and more in events of such magnitude and to contribute with our products to make the experience of the attendees a full satisfaction.
The history of summer music festivals
The festivals began as a set of celebrations in honor of the gods. As early as 4500 BC, the Egyptians held these festivals accompanied by music and dance. They were followed by the Greeks and Romans. The Delphian Political Games included musical performances, and can be considered one of the first known festivals.
In the Middle Ages festivals were organized as musical competitions that were sponsored by the guilds. Later, in 1897, the Irish Music Festival was held in Dublin.
Already in the 20th century, the phenomenon of music festivals had its biggest explosion during the transition from the sixties to the seventies in the field of rock and pop music.
Without a doubt, at that time one of the most historically important musical events was the 1969 Woodstock Festival in the United States. Year after year the festivals are consolidating and increasing this ritual.
In Spain, summer music festivals as we know them today first appeared in the 1950s. They were called "song festivals", which arose as a result of the boom in tourism. Their main objective was to showcase artists and authors, initially Spanish, in a competition in which a jury selected the best in each contest, who received a cash prize at the end of the event. The main festivals of this period were the Benidorm Festival and the Festival de la Canción Mediterránea, both of which are now defunct.
In 1971 the first open-air festival was held, specifically in Granollers, under the name of the International Progressive Rock Festival. More than 25 bands participated in it during one day plus 20 uninterrupted hours of live music. All the bands were national except for the head of the bill, which fell to the then well-known British band The Family.
It was a totally new event in our country, and despite the criticism of the Francoist media, which branded the festival as a "hippie invasion" due to the direct influence of Woodstock, the good climate encouraged this type of event to continue to be held regularly.
Already in 1975, after Franco's death, the era of the great summer music festivals began, since with the entry of democracy the difficulties of offering live shows disappeared, which helped to diversify the offer and improve the organization of this type of event, turning them into multitudinous.
Iberpop '84, which under the slogan 'Primera muestra de nuevos panoramas' (First show of new panoramas) was intended to be a festival dedicated to the main figures of Spanish pop and rock, ended up becoming what we could call the first massive festival like the ones we know today. Not only did it feature artists of the stature of Danza Invisible, La Mode, Nacha Pop and Alaska and Dinarama, but also a programme of activities and conferences in which journalists participated, which contributed significantly to its dissemination.
El Espárrago Rock in 1989 was not left behind and ended up becoming a festival of international stature. From that moment on, other summer music festivals began to appear throughout Spain, such as the Doctor Music Festival, Sónar and FIB in the 1990s, which marked a before and after on the map of festivals in our country and which continue to maintain their popularity.
The summer music festival boom
The boom in summer music festivals in Spain is more than evident. This type of open-air festival has become a real social phenomenon that goes beyond the purely musical. They are places of worship, of pilgrimage for thousands of fans transformed into faithful followers of their idols. Tents, sand, mud, jeans, flowers, glitter, slippers, bikinis, hats, and a lot of stamina is what is needed to resist the three days of the festival season ticket.
Living inside the party is the biggest attraction and the basis of success. Brushing your teeth in the toilet just a few metres away from the stage where your musical icons will be playing is an incentive for many. " Disconnecting and living days in a micro-world of indie, rock, dancing and friends" is one of the factors that summer festival-goers emphasise.
There is no doubt that the culture of the festival is being a real boon to the economy of our country. There is still no real perception of the enormous scope and growth of the festival sector in Spain.
65% of summer music festivals take place in June, July and August. It is a seasonal celebration and according to the study "Oh, Holy Festivals", Indie festivals dominate the scene. Music promoters blame this on the emergence of new technologies and new consumer habits.
The demand for festival concerts is soaring and continues to rise. So much so that Spain is already positioned as a clear reference in summer music festivals in Europe, so much so that the study carried out by the music sponsors estimates that more than 4 million people went to a festival in Spain during 2018.
When it comes to choosing between festivals and concerts, the balance leans towards the former. 50% prefer to go to a festival with many artists, as opposed to almost 30% who prefer concerts.
In the ranking of the most famous and profitable festivals are Arenal Sound with 300,000 attendees, Primavera Sound with 200,000, Benicasim and its FIB with 107,000 tickets sold in 2018, followed by Sónar with 123,000, BBK Live in Bilbao with 112,000 attendees or Mad Cool in Madrid with 102,000 tickets sold.
Arenal Sound will hardly be able to snatch first place. The festival has grown in recent years to become the number one in terms of financial standing, with a turnover of 41 million euros. The festival has evolved by incorporating parallel activities that complement the musical offerings and make the festival an experience
The marks of music
Summer music festivals are establishing themselves as the ideal place for brands to interact with consumers. Major brands see a golden opportunity in the advertising space provided by a summer festival. In this way, sponsors are looking to ingratiate themselves with the casual and discerning public. The numbers show that participating in a festival guarantees one of the most beneficial investments for brands, which manage to generate an emotional connection with their client during the event.
The analysis of the sponsors confirms that the sales of the brands with presence in festivals are stimulated in front of their competitors. 52% see brand sponsorship at music festivals as positive and attractive. 89% like brands that sponsor a live music event and 83% trust brands that support live music more.
Among the brands that monopolize all the sponsorship agreements in music, we can highlight CocaCola, Jaggermeister, Cruzcampo and Damm. Emelec Víascom is no exception, our participation in summer music festivals is of great importance, both for us and for the festival itself, as we provide the cables, connections and connectors of the highest quality for sound and LED screens, which are fundamental factors in making the experience so incredible and pleasant.
We bring our experience and products to bear on the highest quality sound and create a visual experience that awakens the senses.
Some of the cables and connections we use for summer music festivals are
Balanced Digital Cables:
https://emelec.es/balanceados-digitales-110/82482-q3-2110.html
https://emelec.es/balanceados-digitales-110/80844-q3-1110.html
https://emelec.es/balanceados-digitales-110/82737-q3-4110.html
Multipair Hoses:
https://emelec.es/mangueras-multipares/80922-q3-502m.html
Speaker wires:
https://emelec.es/mangueras/82625-q15-215n.html
https://emelec.es/novedades/83249-q15-425e.html
3G and 4K Video Cables:
https://emelec.es/3g-sdi-4k-uhd-unifilar/82744-q11-3006.html
https://emelec.es/3g-sdi-4k-uhd-multifilar/80965-q11-234.html
HDMI 2.0 4K:
https://emelec.es/hdmi-dvi-displayport-vga/82931-eq110nnn.html
You already know that if you are looking for good music and entertainment to the rhythm of the most recognized artists locally and internationally, you just need a lot of desire to have fun to get the most out of summer in Spain. The summer music festivals will give you the rest: FIB, Sónar, BBK ... Decibels of the best music of all styles that will make you jump endlessly this summer.
Rock, pop, electronic music, ethnic, dance, singer-songwriters... Scenarios on the beach, in the big cities, in the desert... Music during the day, in the evening, accompanying the stars... Sounds for all ears and for all tastes during the months of June, July and August and all over Spain. Select the moment, choose the place and enjoy a festive programme especially designed for the youngest... in spirit. All you need is the desire to have a good time.
As a bonus we leave you a list of the best summer music festivals in 2019:
- Primavera Sound: From 30th May to 1st June in Barcelona. This show covers any musical genre, seeking quality and betting essentially on pop, rock and the most underground trends in electronic music. It bets on the latest musical proposals from the independent scene, mixing them with artists with a long career.
- The Download Festival: From June 14th to June 16th at the Caja Mágica in Madrid. The best known hard rock festival in the country.
- Ortigueira: From July 1 to 14 in Ortigueira, La Coruña. Festival dedicated to the folk music of the Celtic countries as well as their culture.
- Mad Cool Madrid: From 11 to 13 July in Madrid. The biggest festival in the capital with world famous artists.
- BBK Live Bilbao: From July 11th to 13th in Bilbao. It is an event that brings together artists from dozens of different countries with very different musical genres.
- Doctor Music Festival: From 12 to 14 July in Barcelona. This event covers different musical genres, from rock to techno, including more alternative music.
- Rototom Sunsplash: July 16th to 22nd in Benicasim, Castellon. It is the most important reggae festival of its kind in Europe, and in 2010 it received the recognition and sponsorship of UNESCO as an Emblematic Event of the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence (UN-UNESCO 2001-2010) and as a related activity of Culture Without Borders.
- Sonar: July 18-20 in Barcelona. Festival reference not only nationally, but internationally. With an avant-garde and groundbreaking approach, it is a showcase for the new artistic and technological trends that emerge worldwide every year.
- Benicàssim Independent Festival (FIB): From 18 to 21 July in Benicasim. It is one of the most popular music festivals in Spain, with both national and international artists.
- Cabo de Plata: If you didn't get tickets for the Viñarock, you always have the Cabo de Plata, linked to the festival held in Villarobledo. The Cabo has reggae, hip hop, trap and flamenco pop as its main banners, and will be held from 25 to 27 July in Barbate, Cádiz.
- Arenal Sound: From July 30th to August 4th in Burriana, Valencian Community. One of the best known musical shows in the country, known to many as 'the festival of festivals' with music of all kinds.
- Sonorama Ribera: From August 7 to 11 in Burgos. Independent and alternative Spanish music. Numerous events, mostly gastronomic, will be held around the fairgrounds.
- Dreambeach: August 7 to 11 in Villaricos, Almeria. Electronic music festival with many DJs from different parts of the world.