The lively electronic beats have amplified teenage interest and attendance at music festivals across the United States. Inspired by their European counterparts, these events combine music, food, and art to provide cultural experiences.
According to festivalrecords.info, the first music festival dates back to the Pythian Games in Ancient Greece. The Pythian Games were a precursor to the Olympic Games and featured music contests and instrumental performances. While the music events sought to bring the local community together, modern festivals have since garnered international attention and competition, according to stereogum.com
In 1969, the infamous Woodstock Music and Arts festival in Bethel, New York, sparked the image of outdoor music for most Americans. According to CNN, Woodstock was considered a disaster. The festival brought in 300,000 more attendees than expected, and the Governor of New York, Mr. Nolan Rockefeller, declared a state of emergency. Despite the chaos, most seemed to enjoy the experience and according to its promotion poster, remember it as “three days of music and peace.”
Since then, newer festivals like the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, Lollapalooza in Chicago,Illinois and The Governors Ball Music Festival in New York City have emerged, creating a large rise in attendees. Since its opening in 2011, The Governors Ball has grown from 18,000 total attendees to 45,000 daily attendees, according to reuters.com.
Sophomore Deah Dushyanth went to The Governors Ball last summer and believes her time listening to the music and enjoying the atmosphere with those around her was a creative and insightful experience.
“I like going to music festivals because it provides an opportunity for me to discover new music and experience different foods and culture,” Deah said.
The festivals themselves have grown to a sizeable industry that generate revenue in many areas. According to psfk.com, one in ten people have attended a music festival and one in five millennials have attended a music festival. Attracting attendees from across the world, festivals become a cultural melting pot.
This diversity is also present in the genres and musical acts that perform. Coachella, Bonnaroo, and Governors Ball recently released music lineups which consist of a variety of musicians and genres that cater to the wide cultural spectrum of the United States. This year, the headliners for some of the festivals include rappers such as Drake and Kendrick Lamar, hard-rock band AC/DC, indie folk band Mumford and Sons and electronic music producer Deadmau5.
Music festivals allow attendees to experience new environments but can quickly become wild according to CNN . Like Woodstock, newer festivals often experience rowdiness and violence on their grounds. Nevertheless, music-lovers continue to travel to these summertime events.
“I think that it’s possible to go to a music festival and not get affected by the violence,” sophomore Lindsay Ofori said. “It does make me apprehensive to attend a music festival but I think that it could be a fun event to attend when being safe and cautious.”
-Arielle Kirven, Staff Writer