Making music festival atmospheres: nature, materials, and the play of atmospheric properties

Ian Woodward, Britt Swartjes

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingBook chapterResearchpeer-review

Abstract

Music festivals are theorised as archetypal spaces of cultural effervescence, and an important part of this effervescent component is the attribution of a festival ‘atmosphere’ and its everyday synonyms such as ‘vibe’, ‘feel’, and ‘mood’. Festivals are imagined as having a particular atmosphere which is ideally conducive to the spontaneous formation of temporary communities and liminal experiences. Anthropological and sociological theories tend to focus on the mutual entrainment of people; on the rituals of embodiment, space, and time; and on the liminal nature of relations which festivals afford. The material, textural, spatial, and ‘more-than-human’ aspects of these processes are less well theorised. This is despite the fact that festivals market their atmosphere as a key point of attraction and use atmospheric narratives about their location and setting in nature to tell a story about their event. This overlooking of natural components is especially the case in relation to the actual gaseous aspects of atmosphere, nature, and weather. This chapter shows how these natural atmospherics can be harnessed by festival organisers to maximise opportunities for making fluid atmospheres within natural settings. It explores the role of more-than-human aspects in the making of music festival atmospheres by drawing on interviews with festival organisers and participant observations undertaken in the space of Karrusel - an electronic music festival which takes place in a small forest on the edges of central Copenhagen, in Denmark. The implications of this case for theorising atmospheres is elaborated.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationConsuming atmospheres : designing, experiencing, and researching atmospheres in consumption spaces
EditorsChloe Steadman, Jack Coffin
Place of PublicationLondon
PublisherRoutledge
Publication date2024
Pages36-50
ISBN (Print)9781032264929
ISBN (Electronic)9781000970296
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 selection and editorial matter, Chloe Steadman and Jack Coffin; individual chapters, the contributors.

Keywords

  • music festivals
  • nature and culture
  • material culture
  • material agency
  • atmosphere studies

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