Between Commerce and Carnival: Corporate Sponsorship and the Outdoor Music Festival Sector

The outdoor or Greenfield music festival sector of the live music industries has expanded considerably in both numerical and economic terms over the past decade. The sector is highly volatile and inherently risky since these events are at the mercy of the British weather, and are often reliant on gate receipts which are collected long after substantial initial investments have been made in securing bands and constructing the festival site. In addition, local authority licensing terms and the increasing costs of policing, security and insurance place considerable financial pressure upon festival promoters (many of which are small independents or volunteer-run). Corporate sponsorship has become an important way to offset these risks and meet set-up costs. However, sponsors and promoters must negotiate a fine balance between commercial motivations and a cultural heritage of outdoor rock and pop events associated with youth rebellion, anti-commercial attitudes and countercultural politics. This presentation will offer a discussion of these pressures in relation to Romanticism, ?selling out? and recuperation.