Music festivals
Lollapalooza Announces Indoor Mask Requirements Halfway Through 2021 Festival
The organizers of Lollapalooza, Chicago’s largest music festival, have established new mask requirements halfway through the event’s 2021 edition. A tweet posted on Lollapalooza’s verified Twitter account noted that “masks must be worn in all indoor spaces at Grant Park” starting today, July 31st, regardless of vaccination status. The measures went into effect in accordance with new guidance from the CDC, which requires everyone in the city to wear a mask in public indoor settings to limit the spread of the Delta coronavirus variant. “Based on the latest advice from the Chicago Department of Public Health, Lollapalooza will require masks in any indoor spaces at Grant Park beginning Saturday,” reads a follow-up tweet published by Lollapalo...
You Can Now Get Married at Bonnaroo
Many people have found their soulmates through a shared love of music. Some have even met their life partners at concerts and music festivals. The organizers of Tennessee’s famed Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival realized that music and romance go hand-in-hand, so for its 20th edition this year, they’re making it easier than ever tie the knot. With the introduction of its “House of Holy MatROOmony” arm, Bonnaroo will now offer wedding services at the festival. “For the first time ever you can say ‘I do’ at Bonnaroo!” reads the initiative’s registration form. “Bring your Bonna-boo to the Chapel of Love for roomantic activities like Love Song Karaoke Happy Hour, interactive photo booth installations and, of course, daily Wedding ceremonies where...
Lollapalooza Ramps Up Personnel to Support COVID-19 Vaccine Screening Measures
Lollapalooza is just a couple of days away from kicking off its 30th annual event and preparations are in the final stages. Of course this year’s event proves to be especially unique. Following an online-only edition in 2020, Lollapalooza is returning to form with a plan that puts public health top of mind. This year Lollapalooza is staffing up particularly heavily to support the coronavirus screening efforts that will be taking place at the festival’s front gates. At the City of Chicago’s direction as well as the Department of Public Health, all attendees will need to produce a printed vaccine card or proof of a negative COVID-19 test in order to gain entry. Chicago’s Lollapalooza music festival. Lollapalooza (via Facebook) Recommended Articles Acco...
Dutch Government Extends Music Festival Ban Through August
An update to Dutch COVID-19 regulations has prolonged a ban on the nation’s music festivals for at least another month, citing continued risks to public health in the immediate term. Over the last few months the relationship between world-renowned Dutch festival brands and the government has soured, to say the least. Despite high hopes for a triumphant 2021 return for Tomorrowland, among other events, festival organizers continue to cite a lack of clarity in regulation and direction from the government as the cause for their indefinite postponement. In the case of Tomorrowland, as recently as June the government indicated a favorable outlook in terms of their efforts to green-light a 2021 edition in late August. By late July, the festival had been cancelled after their app...
The Majority of Dance Music Fans Believe Festival Organizers Should Mandate Vaccines
In a recent survey conducted by EDM.com, two-thirds of respondents revealed they believe promoters should take action in ensuring that attendees are vaccinated prior to entry. The idea of implementing vaccine passport regulation has been a hotly debated topic in recent weeks. In the United States there is currently no enforcement of such policies at the federal level, which has, by consequence, left the states to make their own decisions. New York, for example, does not mandate businesses to verify vaccination status. However, their implementation of Excelsior Pass, a digital vaccine verification system, has allowed venues to make the decision for themselves as to whether or not they want to utilize it. On the other hand, Florida has banned businesses from verifying vaccination ...
Passion, Perseverance, and Propaganda: Behind Pakistan’s Controversial Hunza Verse Music Festival
Before prohibition and religious radicalization under the rule of Zia Ul Haq in 1977, Pakistan’s nightlife was thriving. In the bustling metropolis of Karachi, clubs like Excelsior, Oasis, Samar, and Club 007 openly served alcohol, hosted American jazz musicians like Dizzie Gillespie and Duke Ellington, and attracted professional belly dancers from foreign cities like Beirut, Cairo, Tehran, and Istanbul. Sweeping conservatism shuttered Pakistan’s nightlife, thwarting any chance for dance music to enter the fold. In recent years, however, regional stability and tides of liberalism have birthed interest in electronic music beyond house parties and underground raves. Diplo performed in Islamabad in 2016 before returning in 2018 alongside Valentino Khan and Chrome Sparks for a Pakistani rendit...
Dutch Electronic Music Festival Leads to Over 1,000 COVID-19 Infections
Dutch electronic music festival Verknipt is under fire after being linked to over 1,000 coronavirus infections. The outdoor fest, which took place on July 3rd and 4th in Utrecht, attracted approximately 20,000 people over both days. According to CNBC, every attendee had to show a QR code that validated vaccination, a recent infection, or a negative test. However, Dutch officials were “shocked” to discover the number of new cases. “We cannot say that all these people were infected at the festival itself; it could also be possible that they’ve been infected while traveling to the festival or in the evening before going to the festival or having an after-party,” said Lennart van Trigt, a spokesman for the Utrecht health board. “So they’re...
EDC Orlando Shares Star-Studded Lineup for 10th Anniversary With Kaskade, Excision, More
When Insomniac has something to celebrate, they pull out all the stops. For the 10th anniversary of EDC Orlando, they’ve announced one of their biggest lineups yet. Featured on the bill are some of the most popular electronic music artists in the world, such as Kaskade, Excision, Zedd, Galantis, and Kygo, among many others. Insomniac Records, Factory 93, Dreamstate, Basscon, and Bassrush will all be curating their own time-slots, making this edition of EDC Orlando an absolute treat. Attendees will also be excited to see Dimension, Hot Since 82, Said The Sky, Dom Dolla, Shaquille O’Neal (a.k.a DJ Diesel), and more. Coming off a full year’s delay, this lineup is more than enough to keep fans happy. The festival is set to take place November 12th through 14th at Tinker...
Dirtybird Campout Announces 2021 Lineup: Enter to Win 2 Tickets
The beloved Dirtybird Campout is primed for its comeback in 2021, and the festival is about to be bigger and better than ever. The boutique dance music fest is set for October 15-17 at the Modesto Reservoir Campgrounds in Central California. Dirtybird founder Claude VonStroke has stacked this year’s lineup with some of the biggest artists in the industry in what has the looks of one of the year’s strongest lineups. Slated to perform at the house-focused Birdhouse stage alongside VonStroke are Boys Noize, Tiga, Catz ‘n Dogz, Walker & Royce, Ardalan, Worthy, and Sacha Robotti, among others. The fan-favorite Bass Lodge will host the likes of DJ Jazzy Jeff, Kid Koala, Medasin, and more. That stage will also be transformed to highlight Dirtybird’s newly min...
Major Music Festival Group Files Suit Against Dutch Government Over COVID-19 Restrictions
Amid an increasingly bitter battle between Dutch regulators and music festival organizers, one of the nation’s largest festival production entities ID&T is taking the government to court. ID&T is comprised of the brilliant minds behind Defqon.1, Mysteryland, Awakenings, and many more iconic festival brands. Time is of the essence and ID&T is hoping the suit will lead to immediate clarity from the government regarding what the path forward for large scale events will be. Despite the request, many major events—most notably Tomorrowland—have been forced to cancel last minute due to the mercurial nature of the government’s pandemic mandates. In Tomorrowland’s case, officials at the local level rejected their filing of an event permit despite nation...
180,000 Ravers Partied at EXIT Festival Over the Weekend
EXIT Festival made history over the weekend as Europe’s first major music festival since the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic—and 180,000 people were there to witness it. The festival’s momentous 20th anniversary edition, which has been forced to postpone due to the impact of the virus, featured David Guetta, Charlotte de Witte, Nina Kraviz, Solomun, Amelie Lens, Maceo Plex, and many more. Besides the complex planning it takes to host a festival of this magnitude, organizers also had to navigate erratic health and safety regulations. The fact that they expected guests from 70 countries also complicated the situation. In accordance with the “Safe Events Serbia” protocol, attendees were required to provide a negative PCR test or...
Envision Festival is Releasing Only 600 More Tickets—With a Waitlist of 20,000 People
Costa Rica’s Envision Festival was able to celebrate its 10th edition in February 2020, just weeks before the world shut down due to the impact of COVID-19. While many were hopeful to attend in 2021, the organizers of Envision determined it would be too soon, and they made a preemptive call early on to move the fest’s 11th edition to 2022. They made an official announcement in late 2020, informing all ticket-holders that it will be well worth the wait and inviting them to a weeklong experience of education, adventure, community, yoga, music, and more from February 21st to 28th, 2022. Nestled in the exotic jungles of Costa Rica along the pristine Playa Hermosa beach in Uvita, the event offers cutting-edge production and music as well as immersive worksh...
