The question of what festivals will look like in 30 years is an interesting one. Thinking back to 30 years ago, not a whole lot has changed if you really think about it. Speaker technology and light technology (LEDs, projection mapping) have become more advanced, but overall structure and design have remained pretty stagnant. There’s still a stage, video/lighting booth, attractions, food, and large crowds — much, much larger crowds.
But ask anyone today what festivals will look like in 2050 and you’ll probably get the same answer someone in 1985 would have said about today. Ruby Lott-Lavigna for NOISEY attended a techno festival in Houghton, Norfolk in the UK pretty much proved that when speaking to the festival’s attendees.
Below are a few excerpts from her conversations, but you can read the full piece here. 
Noisey: What will dance music festivals like Houghton look like in 32 years?
Hannah, 24: I need to think about this. [Pause]. It’s a cloud rave, where everyone is in space pods, and everyone’s levitating, and everyone’s in their own pod, levitating around the stages they want to go to.
Noisey: Hi! What will dance music festivals be like in the future?
Timothy, 27: We don’t talk to each other, we just sit in our rooms and wear virtual reality headsets and we can do a slight wave to someone in the corner, and then hopefully they’ll wave back, and that’ll be it. Everything’s open source. This is the future where humans own the world. There’s no concept of currency.
Noisey: What do you think dance music festivals will look like in the next 32 years?
Charlie, 30: I think what will start happening is that festivals will start having a much higher focus on interactive activities and the visual activities. What people want is immersive experiences, and there’s also been a huge rise in immersive experiential events. […] Escapism will drive an entirely different trend through dance music festivals, and they will create immersive whole body experiences for people so they can reconnect with themselves because that’s half the reason people love festivals. Because they can just let everything go. There’s just this immense need for connection.
What do you think festivals will be like in 2050? Let us know in the comments!
Photo via Rukes.com
