Liveurope goes to Sharpe music festival & conference

Sharpe is Bratislava’s Festival & conference showcasing “fresh and sharp music from Europe and beyond”, taking place on April 25, 26 and 27 in our venue Nová Cvernovka.

This year, Liveurope will be represented in this Slovakia-based conference by our general coordinator, Elise Phamgia. On Saturday, April 27th, she will moderate a discussion titled “Account Balance vs Lineup Balance”, alongside speakers such as Barbora Bodnárová (Pohoda Festival, SK) and Márk Bóna (Sziget festival, HU). See more details below. 

Come and say hi if you are around! More information on: https://sharpe.sk/conference/panels/

Title: Account Balance vs Lineup Balance
15:00 – 16:00 @ Library
Moderator: Elise Phamgia (Liveurope, BE)
Speakers: Barbora Bodnárová (Pohoda Festival, SK), Márk Bóna (Sziget festival, HU)

It is 2024 and the production expenses and headliner fees gained another astronomical heights. Together with inflation and the high demands from the festival-goers, the situation is getting rather difficult for smaller and independent festivals. As the cost of securing top performers continues to rise, festival organizers face the challenge of maintaining financial viability while meeting audience expectations. Do bigger festivals cause market distortion when they prioritize high-profile acts regardless of economic viability? Is there enough funds for medium and smaller acts? In this panel we will discuss how to navigate the intricate dynamics between escalating headliner fees and limited festival budgets. In addition, we will look at different approaches, like effective lineup curation strategies that can maximize artistic diversity while staying within budgetary constraints, fostering a more balanced and sustainable festival ecosystem.