If you find yourself asking what makes a successful music event? Then you came to the right place. Music festival events can be a lot of fun to plan but knowing how to start a music festival and plan the event is crucial. We came up with a checklist to give you a jumping off point and make your job a little easier. 

Planning a Music Festival Checklist

1. Set a Budget

When it comes to setting a budget, you will want to realistically think about everything that your event entails. We suggest creating an overall budget, and then breaking that budget down into smaller categories such as music event venues, artists, rental equipment and so forth. This helps keep you on track and makes your budget more manageable. You can always look back on your budget in the future, to help you plan for more events you host. 

2. Choose a Venue

Next, you will want to find a music venue to host your event. You may be wondering how to find venues to play music? You will first want to make sure the venue is suitable for concerts. There are going to be event spaces that are great for hosting a music festival and others that are not. The venue is crucial for the ambiance of your event and sometimes concertgoers are just as married to a venue as they are to the artist.

You will want to make sure you also take into consideration the facilities of the venue. What’s the capacity of the space so you know how many guests you can host? Are there enough bathrooms for the type of event you are trying to throw? Are there ramps and wheelchair access? These are all things you will want to think about and consider so your event runs as smoothly as possible.

3. Select Artists or Bands

Once you have set your budget and selected your venue, you have now arrived at one of the most crucial steps, choosing the artists or bands. If you already have people in mind that you want to contact, that is great! If not, you will need to start creating a list of who you will want to contact and be prepared that this is no easy task. While you can go online to try and find them, it's always best to go where they actually hang out in person.

You will want to consider the size and popularity of the bands you select because they have different benefits to them. Smaller artists and bands are going to be easier to book because they are just starting off and are excited to get their name out there. Getting 2-3 different bands like this can give you a variety of music and styles. However, you will want to make sure you have a bigger, more popular artist or band as well because they will draw in the crowd with fans and help fill up your venue space.

4. Set Up Tech Equipment

Next, you will want to ensure you have all of the tech equipment to set up for your event. Most venues you will rent out, will already have their own PA system and someone who runs it, however, this could be something you need to staff for, so it’s always best to check. Checking with the artists and bands for what they need is also crucial, so when they perform, they are prepared and successful. The tech equipment is quite literally what brings your event to life through the sound quality, so this step is very important.

5. Masterplan and Event Flow

Finally, you will want to create a masterplan and event flow chart, so you have a document to refer to where everyone is on the same page. This will help you keep details that you will need to discuss well in advance of the event straight and allow you to always look back with your team or the venue to ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible.

One of the best places to start is by looking up music venues near me, however, if you are looking up event space rentals in Los Angeles, we at Ovation Square would be happy to host your next music event. We are located in the heart of downtown Long Beach and have the best state-of-the-art stage and equipment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do you think it’s more important to have a lot of smaller bands or one big artist?
A: Ideally, if you could do both, that would be best. That way you have more bands to fill the stage and they will probably be easier to get ahold of, and then one bigger artist or band who brings in the people.

Q: Will the venue be able to help with tech setup?
A: Most of the time, yes. Most venues have internal teams that can help assist, however, you can always hire a third party if need be.

Q: What is a realistic budget?
A: It depends on the artist, the venue and how big your event is. You can always discuss with an event planner or the venue to figure out a realistic budget.