Unlike traditional live music concerts, festivals are meant to create a more intimate, community-driven experience. Most festivals are held outdoors and host a variety of vendors and attractions. The vibe of music festivals is often laid back, with tents or roofed stages providing performers with their podium.
Music festivals generally draw thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people. They also tend to feature multiple artists, instead of just one or two. Most are thematic in nature, hosting only certain genres of music or focusing on things like accomplished female artists.
The Origins of Music Festivals
Music festivals date all the way back to the 6th century BC. The Pythian Games were held to honor Apollo, the god of music, with musicians playing flutes and a Greek stringed instrument called a Kithara. The Pythian Games predated the Olympics and included live music competitions called mousikos agon.
By the 10th century BC, Greece held a three-day festival each spring called the Festival of the Vine Flower in Athens. Artists, dancers, and musicians came to the festival in togas to perform and compete.