At RPM we have used social listening to analyse the conversations of 22 of the top UK music festivals this summer to see what was getting talked about and shared. This has allowed us to discover the 6 trending macro conversations from the festival season as well as the trending micro conversations that are unique to individual festivals. These similarities and nuances that exist provide rich insight and learnings for brands that want to maximise their festival investment. It will help in the creation of more meaningful and relevant brand experiences that finally start to get brands talked about within the festival context.

1. CONNECTING
IN CULTURE
SUMMER FESTIVAL REPORT 2017

2. Introduction
We have used social listening to analyse the conversations of
22 of the top UK music festivals this summer to see what was
getting talked about and shared.
This has allowed us to discover the 6 trending macro conversations
from the festival season as well as the trending micro conversations
that are unique to individual festivals. These similarities and nuances
that exist provide rich insight and learnings for brands that want to
maximise their festival investment. It will help in the creation of more
meaningful and relevant brand experiences that finally start to get
brands talked about within the festival context.

3. 2017 FESTIVAL
MACRO CONVERSATIONS

4. TRENDING MACRO CONVERSATIONS FROM SUMMER 2017
The number one topic of
conversation was the headliners
with the likes of Radiohead,
Eminem, Ed Sheeran,
Pink and many more capturing
festival goers hearts and
memories.
Glitter
Campsite Hero
Fun
Up-Tempo
Partying
The Squad
Brands
The 5 other biggest
trending topics:
The number
one topic:

5. KEY LEARNING
Brands aren’t part of
the festival conversation.
The conversation about
glitter far outweighed
that of all the brands
that activated at the
festivals combined.

6. GLITTER: THE CONVERSATION

7. GLITTER: ACTIVATING THE TREND IN 2017
Festivals have jumped on the glitter trend this year, ensuring that festival-goers’
sparkly needs are fully catered for. Benefit Cosmetics played on the trend by
intercepting festival goers on the way to Glastonbury.
Benefit – Glastonbury ‘Glastonbrow’ Jingo – Bestival, Festival No. 6,
Wilderness and many more
Bestival – ‘Show The Love
Karaoke Glitter Rave’
The brows and beauty drive-thru gave passers-by
the chance to “rock a statement brow to match their
feathers and glitter.” (Lisa Potter-Dixon, Benefit’s head
makeup artist).
Jingo specialises in all things sparkly. They go
around festivals offering glitter face art and
more to ensure everyone can get their glittery
fest-look.
Daring participants performed songs on stage with
the aid of fluorescent MCs. In between songs DJs got
the room raving to dance classics whilst showering the
crowd with glitter.
Rosie AllenJingo EventsBenefit

8. CAMPSITE HERO: THE CONVERSATION

9. CAMPSITE HERO: ACTIVATING THE TREND IN 2017
The campsite represents a great opportunity for brands to connect with
festival goers in a space where there is less competition for attention.
This year Dorset Cereals and EE found success by enhancing the
campsite experience.
Dorset Cereals – Cornbury Music Festival,
Camp Bestival – ‘Campsite Takeover’ EE – Glastonbury – ‘4GEE Smart Tent’
The tent hosted a ‘breakfast extravaganza’, along with a range of
morning activities including yoga. Live acoustic performances.
The ‘4GEE Smart Tent’ showed off a range of festival enhancing connected
technologies. One lucky Glastonbury-goer won the chance to spend a night in it.
The tent doubled up as a Wi-Fi hotspot to keep everyone connected.
EE and M&C SaatchiWhat Hannah Did Next

10. FUN: THE CONVERSATION
Content curators such as Lad Bible
did a great job of capturing hilarious
festival footage, gathering millions
of views in the process.
https://www.facebook.com/LADbible/
videos/3243202825726885/

11. FUN: ACTIVATING THE TREND IN 2017
The majority of brands missed out this year on the opportunity to create experiences
that are fun and playful at heart. Old Mout provided an exception to this rule and the
more eccentric festivals also provided stand out playful activities for attendees.
Old Mout Cider – Isle of Wight Festival,
Common People, Wilderness – ‘Kiwi Camp’ Bestival – World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle Secret Garden Party – ‘Colosillyum’
The Kiwi Camp invited festival goers to explore their
adventurous sides. Sofa swings, Disco Yoga, Rockaoke
and a bar queue skipping slide ensured bundles of fun.
The giant bouncy castle is taller than the Great Wall of
China and can hold 100 fun-seeking festival goers at once.
The theme for this year’s colosillyum was Hitchhikers
Guide to the Galaxy. The iconic venue played host to
a weekend of wackiness including mud wrestling, dare
games and mid air wrestling.
Bestival Bearded Kitten

12. UP-TEMPO PARTYING: THE CONVERSATION

13. UP-TEMPO PARTYING: ACTIVATING THE TREND IN 2017
Coors Light and Virgin Trains both produced activations that enticed
festival goers away from seeing other acts by playing with the elements
to offer a unique dance experience.
Coors Light – Electric Frog & Pressure
Riverside Festival – ‘Ice Cave Rave’
Virgin Trains –
‘The Village Limits’
Ravers were invited into an ice cave to dance away to live DJs whilst
sipping on an ice-cold Coors Light. The unique setting and catchy
hashtag ensured that festival goers got sharing.
Virgin Trains ‘The Village Limits’ music space at Festival No. 6 has been part
of their partnership with the festival for the past few years (winning The Brand
Activation Award at the 2015 UK Festival Awards). The space includes a floating
dancefloor on a lake with a specially created DJ booth within a pagoda deep in
the woods.
Festival No. 6Glasgowist
Virgin Trains

14. THE MATES/SQUAD: THE CONVERSATION

15. THE MATES/SQUAD: ACTIVATING THE TREND IN 2017
Festivals are experts in providing ambient signage, perfect for the
group pic. Brands found success by adding on fun photo opportunities
to their activations, however, a lack of group focussed experiences
represents a missed opportunity.
Stand Out Ambient Signage –
Multiple Festivals Hooch – Boomtown Fair – Giant Chair Kia – Wireless and Lovebox – Roller Disco
Festivals provide ambient signage to give the perfect
‘look where I am’ photo opp for the squad.
The giant hooch chair has visited many festivals in its
time and is a simple piece of furniture that encourages
group pictures.
The GIF photobooth addition to the roller disco
experience allowed for a quick, easy and fun social
sharing moment.
Andy Whitton
Bestival

16. HEADLINER ACTS: THE CONVERSATION

17. HEADLINER ACTS: ACTIVATING THE TREND IN 2017
There weren’t any headline artist focussed brand activations this year, with
the cost of such an activity undoubtedly proving a stumbling block. Last year,
however, Budweiser showed what was possible when they created an entire
through the line campaign for their Tiesto and Tomorrowland partnership.
Budweiser – Tomorrowland 2016 – Tiesto ‘Infected’
Budweiser collaborated with Tiësto, to launch a new track called ‘Infected’ along with a music video in the lead up to Tomorrowland. The official music video on
YouTube has gathered over 5 million views. The song was performed live for the first time at Tomorrowland, with the energy from the main stage infusing a special
edition beer. Those not able to make the festival were also able to enjoy the Tiesto set as Budweiser were the exclusive partner to broadcast the Live Stream online.
This also manifested itself in the on-trade with Tomorrowland experience takeovers in selected bars and clubs.

18. 2017 FESTIVAL
MICRO CONVERSATIONS

19. Why the micro is important
The summer festival landscape is massively varied. It is
important to know and understand festivals individually as
the macro trends may be more or less relevant depending
on the type of festival.
Understanding the nuances and quirks of individual festivals
will help brands to better understand their specific context
and create more relevant tailored experiences.

20. HOW THE MACRO TRENDS PLAY OUT IN INDIVIDUAL FESTIVALS
Glitter
Campsite Hero
Fun
Up-Tempo Partying
Headliner Acts
The Mates / Squad
Brands
Glitter
Campsite Hero
Fun
Up-Tempo Partying
Headliner Acts
The Mates / Squad
Brands
Macro Festival
Conversations
Parklife V Festival
Bestival Glastonbury
Glitter
Campsite Hero
Fun
Up-Tempo Partying
Headliner Acts
The Mates / Squad
Brands
Boomtown
Glitter
Campsite Hero
Fun
Up-Tempo Partying
Headliner
Acts
The Mates /
Squad
Brands
Glitter
Campsite Hero
Fun
Up-Tempo Partying
Headliner
Acts
The Mates /
Squad
Brands
Glitter
Campsite
Hero
Fun
Up-Tempo Partying
The Squad
Brands
Headliner Acts

21. The overarching macro
festival trends play out in
the mainstream festivals
(Glastonbury and V Festival)
in an almost mirror like way.
These festivals appeal to the
masses by sticking to the
standardised and expected
festival formula – camping over
the course of a weekend with
mega famous headline acts.
The macro trend conversations
play out in a very different
way within the alternative
festivals of Boomtown and
Bestival. These festivals have
found popularity and fame for
focussing on the experience
and theatre beyond the music,
with the music and headline
acts playing second fiddle.
KEY LEARNINGS

22. PARKLIFE 2017
MICRO TRENDS

23. PARKLIFE 2017 MICRO TRENDS
MUDDY FUN DRUGSSUSPECT OUTFITS MANCHESTER

24. V FESTIVAL 2017
MICRO TRENDS

25. V FESTIVAL 2017 MICRO TRENDS
FASHION SHOW DOWNPOURS AND MUDCELEBRITY SPOTTING SNAPCHAT STORIES

26. GLASTONBURY 2017
MICRO TRENDS

27. GLASTONBURY 2017 MICRO TRENDS
FLAGS BBC STREAMINGCORBYN GLASTO BLUES

28. BESTIVAL 2017
MICRO TRENDS

29. BESTIVAL 2017 MICRO TRENDS
NEW HOME COLOUR THEMEHAPPY KANYE WACKY WORLD RECORDS

30. BOOMTOWN 2017
MICRO TRENDS

31. BOOMTOWN 2017 MICRO TRENDS
IMMERSIVE THEATRE EXPLORATION & DISCOVERYQUEUING SECTOR 6

32. KEY LEARNINGS
Brands aren’t currently part of the festival conversation.01
This year’s most engaging brand activations played
into a festival macro-trend.02
Activity involving headline acts is an untapped territory
for brands that offers great potential.03
Festival micro-trends offer a rich source of insight for
brands that want to weave themselves into a particular
festival’s culture.
04
WE BELIEVE YOU NEED TO:
BLEND YOUR CONTENT WITH CONTEXT TO
CREATE THE MOST COMPELLING IDEAS
For more information contact newbiz@rpmltd.com

33. Thank you