The festival season is upon us. With large and small music festivals throughout Norway, the public can pick and choose what’s on offer. But for some festivals it can be more demanding to get through. This winter, the industry website ballade.no wrote about a growth in artist fees in general, and headliners in particular. Together with demands for exclusivity, it can challenge festivals without the big financial muscles. – All our members report that it has become more expensive to book artists recently. Then it is especially at headliner level that you notice the big increase. That’s what Siri Haugan Holden, day-to-day manager of Norwegian Cultural Organizers, says. The organization has around 500 members, of which around 200 are festivals. Siri Haugan Holden, day-to-day manager of Norwegian Cultural Organizers, says there has been a market for many festivals in the past and that she therefore hopes many will be able to continue. Photo: Jane Lool Greater competition Holden says they see an intensification where the big players with the biggest financial muscles in the cities are leaving. It is the smaller festivals in the district that report more difficult times, she says. She points out that market forces control the development, but that the general rise in prices and several more expensive productions help to explain the increase. – The competition is getting bigger and the smaller festivals have less chance to book artists of a certain size. In the long term, we are afraid that this will cause these smaller and medium-sized festivals to disappear. Holden also feels that the demand for exclusivity has become stricter, which in turn means that the number of artists is decreasing. The beach festival at Refviksanden in Nordfjord is among the festivals that have seen a price increase after covid. They are experiencing a general growth in artist fees, but especially for the artists who have a slightly lower price range, says festival manager Kent Rune Bugjerde. The increase means that they have to think smarter when they book. – We cannot increase festival passes and day passes too much either. A district challenge Svein Bjørge has many years of experience in the festival industry, including from Tons of Rock and now as festival manager for Steinkjerfestivalen. For the first time, the festival last year ran with a deficit of NOK one million. Bjørge thinks it comes from the fact that last year they spent more on artists’ fees at the same time as they did not sell out for the first time. His experience is that artist fees have increased every year, and the requirement for exclusivity is becoming stricter and stricter. The big names are concentrated at what he calls “elite festivals” in the big Norwegian cities. – It doesn’t look particularly good if you look through the glass now. I’m afraid a number of festivals will fail in the years to come, says Svein Bjørge in Steinkjerfestivalen. Photo: Solvår Flatås / news Bjørge believes this also has a district perspective: – What do you want the youth to be? They learn that they have to go to the big cities to get the great cultural experiences, says Bjørge. Artists plan further ahead At the Island Festival in Oslo, they notice that more artists are planning further in advance than they did previously. The festival industry has become more professionalised, and the productions and equipment around the biggest Norwegian artists have become bigger, says PR manager Jonas Prangerød. At the same time, the organizers wish to put together an exciting programme. The result can be fewer, larger and more expensive performances. – There are choices made on the part of both artists and organisers, which means that some artists will be too big and too expensive for all types of events, says Prangerød. Photo: Berit Roald Drive at work Marie Rosted Furseth is head of the Utkantfestivalen in Gulen. She, too, knows the problem with increasing fees, even though Utkantfestivalen has done well. Furseth believes it is important that the audience is clear that their choices are being recorded. – You have to think of festivals like other local shops. If you want the festival, you have to act. The beach festival is run on charity. Kent Rune Bugjerde says they look positively on running the festival, even if some conditions have become more demanding. – I think the festivals in the districts are good at profiling themselves and talking positively about each other. If we continue with it, I think we will be able to hold our own and be part of this for a few more years.
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– Save some festivals will fail – news Vestland
