Music festivals this year presented a number of creative, quirky, and, above all, interactive opportunities for the crowds that flocked to them, all courtesy of on- and off-site brand activations and events. From activities that focused on keeping festivalgoers healthy and freebies like sunscreen and ponchos to devices that allowed attendees to watch concerts from afar, here's a look at six trends spotted in 2015.
Certain music festivals this year proved that going old-school can be the key to throwing an entertaining party. At the Essence Festival, which ran from July 2 to 5 in New Orleans, McDonald's threw a retro-theme community celebration, called the "Lovin' Skate Jam," which was designed by BPR and the Narrative Group. The fast-food chain's event offered roller skates and a skating rink for attendees, as well as a photo booth with '80s and '90s hip-hop-inspired props.
Coachella, which took place April 10 to 12 and 17 to 19 in Indio, California, offered festivalgoers numerous health and wellness events to attend, including the Nylon Recovery Brunch. The event offered outdoor yoga, as well as other activities meant to help guests recuperate after the weekend.
Sparrows Lodge in Palm Springs was the location of Retreat, a wellness-minded, relaxation-focused event produced by Jeff Consoletti or JJ-LA and tour and event producer Tanya Slater. Taylor & Taylor was behind the production design, which included a silk patchwork canopy, Persian rugs, and kilim pillows. The event also offered free massages.
This year's South by Southwest Interactive, part of SXSW, which took place March 13 to 17 in Austin, Texas, had a Pursuit of Equinox cycling class at the Fast Company Grill at Cedar Door. Bikes pedaled by participants sent out data that was visualized on a screen.
For early risers, Spotify House held cycling classes by SoulCycle and dance classes, with a live DJ.
Many music festivals this year offered amenities to attendees that included beauty booths and necessary goods. Bud Light's traveling House of Whatever activation at Lollapalooza, which took place in Chicago's Grant Park from July 31 to August 2, had a "Tattoos and 'Dos" booth, which offered braiding, hair chalking, and other festival-inspired hairstyling services.
Whole Foods had a miniature market at Pitchfork Music Festival, which took place July 17 to 19 at Chicago's Union Park. The market offered fruits and snacks, as well as sunscreen, hair ties and bobby pins, and scented sprays. The station encouraged guests to take advantage of the free perks with a sign that read "Refresh yourself before you wreck yourself."
At a mini mart outside of a Soho House Chicago activation, guests could design their own parasols for portable shade during the festival.
Comedy Central's one-day Kegs and Eggs at Pelons & Bar offered attendees three key festival necessities: eggs, beer, and ponchos for that inevitable rainy day.
For attendees with dying phone batteries, Mophie had St. Bernards on hand with the brand's power reserve unit inside a barrel attached to the dogs' collars. Those in need of a charge took screenshots of their phone screen and location, and tweeted to the brand.
Off site but near festival grounds, Soho House Chicago teamed up with food website and mobile app the Infatuation to host an Ice Cream Social for festivalgoers on Friday. The event included a complimentary D.I.Y. sundae bar, where toppings inspired by the hotel's eateries included melon, basil, and bits of apple pie.
The Breakfast Sessions buffet was housed in the Red Bull Guest House at the Sagamore Hotel during the Winter Music Conference in Miami from March 24 to 28. Offered as a late-night snack, the buffet served munchies including Pop Tarts with dipping sauces, mac 'n' cheese, chicken-and-waffle sandwiches, and Twinkies.
The Bootsy Bellows estate's party featured a colorful ball pit for adults, backed by the logo and slogan of sponsor McDonald's. The Narrative Group handled media, producing the party with support from ESE Lifestyle.
Brooklyn Brewery brought its traveling petting zoo, Tiny Tails to You, to the Grackle. One of the highlights was a tortoise race.
My Jewel Bar's table at the Retreat offered guests baubles that they could customize with festival-inspired charms and details.
In a V.I.P. area, guests could have their photos snapped inside the "Bud Light Lolla-Scope." The machine took rotating, 360-degree photos of guests, who then posted the images to their social media accounts. The images were automatically populated with the phrase: "And this happened at Lolla 2015," along with the #UpForWhatever hashtag.
HBO’s Silicon Valley brought Scheimpflüg’s Time Slice 360-degree photo booth to the Mashable House. Guests could email the images they took to themselves.
Not a fan being stuck in a wild crowd at the front of the stage? Festivals this year provided the opportunity to watch artists onstage in a less chaotic setting. At Samsung's Galaxy Experience and its Owner's Lounge, guests interacted with the Samsung Gear VR, a virtual-reality device that gave them an up-close view of the performances on the Samsung Galaxy stage.
Local beer company Goose Island made custom periscopes, set back from the main stages, that let guests peer at the festival crowds near the stages.
