Here are the 5 most important festivals you need to visit to stay up to date (and hydrated).
Festivals are important meeting places for industry people from all over the world who want to stay up to date on things such as fashion and technology trends, but also to enjoy beer, music and fun. Here are five festivals we recommend you take a look at the next time you plan an inspiring trip for a professional replenishment for your company:
South by Southwest is a festival made up of music, film and interactive media in Austin, Texas. The music festival is considered the world's largest with over 1400 bands playing every year. The diverse program kicks off in March and consists of conferences, trade fairs, film and music. SXSW made its debut in 1987 and has developed at record speed. The festival has become more and more popular among Norwegians, especially after SAS started setting up its own flight to Austin.
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival started in 1999 and has become one of the most profitable music festivals in the United States. More than 100,000 music fans and celebrities gather in California mid-April each year, over two weekends, to see and be seen. It's not just California summer, it’s an incredible line-up of artists and one of the world's biggest Ferris wheels that draws people here. Coachella has also become one of the most important places to see current trends in music and fashion.
OFFF started in Barcelona in 2000 as a simple conference and has in the course of almost twenty years developed into the most important festival for creativity in Europe. The festival's focus is on the latest trends in creativity, art and design and attracts around 5,000 like-minded people a year. Lecturers such as Patrick Clair - screenwriter of series Westworld, The Crown and True Detective, and illustrator Jessica Hische, known for her work with Barack Obama, Starbucks, Nike and Apple, are just a few examples of names the festival attracts. The festival is held in the heart of Barcelona at the end of April every year.
Sónar is a festival for electronic and experimental music that is held annually in June in Barcelona. The festival lasts three days and is one of Europe's most prestigious in its genre. In 2018, it hosted over 128,000 people from 119 countries. Sonar's roots go all the way back to 1994 and have since presented the world's most famous DJs and house and electric artists. The festival has since also expanded with "Sónar + D", a separate section focusing on technology and innovation.
Oktoberfest, locally also called Wiesn, is a large beer festival and an over two-hundred-year-old tradition held in Munich. It is held over 16 days in late September and early October each year and considered to be the world's largest folk festival. Around six million people from all over the world travel to participate in beer drinking, dancing in dirndls and lederhosen and eating sausages and pretzels. Only six German breweries are allowed to serve beer at the event: Paulaner, Spatenbräu, Löwenbräu, Hacker-Pschorr, Augustiner-Bräu and Hofbraü-München. Oktoberfest starts when the mayor declares "It is tapped!". O 'zapft is!
Are you the head of your company and wondering how to inspire your employees? A company trip to a festival that suits you may be the answer. Here you will be served professional replenishment, network building and increased unity. Feel free to challenge us on a program proposal - send an email here.