Squamish Cancelled for 2016: Has the Bubble Finally Burst?

If you’re thinking “Oh well, who needs Headliner X? There are literally thousands of other artists I would rather hear instead!”, then take a look at the 2015 Global Festival Events Calendar and prepare to have your world shattered. A quick peek reveals there were over 1500 events from more than 70 countries in 2015, and those are just the big ones. All that is well and good, until event planners are paying double for the same act they booked a year or two previously.

In case of a conflict of dates, most of the big names are going to take the biggest payout, which can be offered by the biggest companies. The smaller festivals must focus their attention on booking who is available, and who they can afford, all while having to deal with such pains as a radius clause.

Although everyone wants to be a DJ, nobody is going to book a bunch of acts they don’t know or that won’t draw a crowd. After all, the attendees are the ones who are essentially setting the stage for next year, as it takes an incredible amount of money, and dedication, in order to keep improving the same festival year after year.

This used to be the Village at Shambhala. Yes, that’s a rotating stage in the middle. (Photo taken from Facebook)

As with any business venture, most festivals will falter and very few will be able to stand the test of time. But for as long as we keep buying tickets, there will always be people willing to sell them to us. And it’s the value we put on those tickets that’s going to continue to determine how far this elastic band can truly stretch. Ask almost any veteran of Shambhala, and they’ll tell you the cost of the ticket is irrelevant to the time they value on the farm every year.

It’s not to say the bubble has burst, or that it’s even in danger of popping. But as corporate brands and money become more and more the driving factor behind our favorite festivals, that bubble reflects everything this community holds dear, and on the other side is that one asshole with a pin just waiting to ruin it for everyone.

Is the amount of festivals available at our disposal a good or a bad thing? How do you feel the festival market is going to change in the future? Share your voice on social media or get the conversation started below!