Festival Innovation & Evolution

Written by Dale and Darcy Cahill Over the past thirty years of attending bluegrass festivals, Dale and I have witnessed festivals evolving beyond rough camping and one-stage events. Some of the innovations grew out of attendees’ suggestions and others from promoters trying new ways to attract larger audiences and add even a small amount of extra revenue to keep their festivals alive. Some of these innovations that we now take for granted are RV camping, campsite concierge services, kids’ academies, online ticketing, dance tents, and expanded offerings on main streets from thrift stores to farmstands. The list goes on. This past season, we noticed three specific additions to bluegrass festivals that impressed us, and we expect will become standard fare moving forward: VIP tickets, well-organized sobriety support and phone apps, simple and complex. VIP translates into Very Important Person. Thus, a VIP ticket offers above and beyond a general ticket, which typically includes en