More Than Just Music: The Rise of Gaming at Biggest Music Festivals in The World

In recent years, the concept of gamifying music festival events has gained momentum and is poised to become a significant aspect of many events in the near future. Vendors and sponsors are constantly searching for innovative methods to connect with potential customers and boost traffic to their respective sites.

This fusion between gaming and music is driven by certain similarities, and numerous examples of festival-inspired gamification have already emerged. We will explore these in more details below, as well as look at the future trends in this rapidly evolving field.

Gaming & Music Festivals: The Merge

The interrelation between music and gaming is impossible to deny, as they both have major impacts on the other. As Twitch and other streaming services become more popular, it’s not a surprise that audio has become an everyday feature. Twitch, specifically, demonstrates this perfectly with its Music & Performing Arts section and streamers that often use audio while they’re playing or communicating.

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Apart from the above examples, festivals and after-parties have gone to great lengths to make their shows stand out, adding a range of components to them. Therefore, due to the sheer variety of performers and genres on offer, attendance at such events has gradually increased over time.

Game-Inspired Biggest Music Festivals in the World

Witnessing video games and music merging together at a festival is an incredible experience. To illustrate this concept, let us reflect on some remarkable occasions when performers stepped onto the stages of gaming events. These historical and unforgettable moments between gamers and artists created something completely special and are sure to be remembered for years to come.

Glastonbury Arcade

The concept of integrating gaming and festival experiences into one immersive event gained widespread attention after the UK’s Glastonbury festival initiated it. The event made a bold move in 2017 by introducing the “Glastonbury Arcade,” a revolutionary gaming platform that showcased a blend of timeless and contemporary console games to cater to the festival-goers’ interests. The introduction of this cutting-edge technology received an overwhelmingly positive response from the attendees, who embraced the idea with open arms.

Desert Trip & Lolla Gaming Lounge

In recent years, many festivals have added gaming as one of the activities for attendees. The renowned Glastonbury Festival has started this trend, and other events such as Coachella and Lollapalooza followed suit. For instance, when visiting Coachella, goers could experience a full-size Pac-Man game in the “Desert Trip” zone, while Lollapalooza provided a zealous gaming lounge where they could play the latest console games along with their favorite PC titles.

Fortnite World Cup

Another ambitious gaming experience and one of the biggest music festivals in the world by attendance to date was at the 2019 edition of the Fortnite World Cup. The grandiose event showcased a striking 32-foot-tall screen, which commanded the main stage. Ambitious Fortnite players competed for a top prize of an immense $30 million from a pool of impressive competitors. Viewers from around the globe watched and tuned in to the live broadcast that gained millions of eyes on it. It was definitely one of the biggest music events to happen this year.

Companies Taking the Lead

The international corporate giants have definitely paid attention to the concept of uniting music and gaming together. Not surprisingly, they made their presence felt through events and festivals that had an impressive musical component. Their work on the musical aspect has been quite remarkable and widely appreciated.

Companies in the esports industry, such as ReKTX, LiveXLive, Allied Esports, and GameSquare Esports, have been collaborating with renowned music festivals for both streaming and physical presence at festival venues. This has been a mutually beneficial arrangement for both parties, as they can reach out to new and engaged audiences.

Right now, the five most renowned esports organizations around the globe are:

• Team SoloMid
• Liquid
• FaZe
• 100 Thieves
• Cloud9

Benefits of Adding Gaming Components

The relationship between music and video games extends beyond the creation of soundtracks. It results in a range of advantages for both parties involved. Here are some of them.

Entertainment Ground

Incorporating gaming elements not only serves as an entertainment hub for festival-goers but also expands the reach of the event through media coverage. For instance, the LiveXLive and Allied Esports partnership plans to deploy esports trucks, which are essentially mobile game centers, at various music festivals and events globally.

These trucks will enable fans to participate in games and other activities while providing a platform for broadcasting streams, music news, interviews, and other forms of content. This approach will provide attendees with a comprehensive experience and offer an opportunity to attract a larger audience through media coverage.

Appeal to a Wider Audience

The allure of video games is widespread, and their integration into music festivals can draw a new and diverse crowd to these events. Incorporating gaming experiences can differentiate events from each other and create a competitive edge in a saturated market, potentially boosting overall attendance. With the added value of gaming, festivals can attract a broader demographic, breaking down barriers that may have previously deterred certain groups from attending.

Additional Revenue Streams

This type of collision can also bring in profits through various means such as sponsorships, ticket sales, and merchandise sales. Sponsors can benefit from exposure to a new audience demographic and can see the festival as an opportunity to promote their products or services. Ticket sales can also increase as gamers are attracted to the festival, and merchandise sales can be expanded to include gaming-related products.

What’s Next?

As gaming and music festival audiences continue to overlap, it’s likely that we’ll see more collaboration and deals between organizers in both industries. With the growing popularity of streaming initiatives, event organizers may see opportunities to tap into the esports market.

However, only time will tell how successful these partnerships will be and at what scale they’ll be executed. For now, we can anticipate exciting developments as companies like Allied Esports, ReKTX, LiveXLive, and others showcase their plans. It’s not surprising to see video games and music colliding in this way, and it will be fascinating to see how organizers work together to create an optimal experience for attendees and gamers alike.