“Free and abundant water. There were free water fountains at Bonnaroo, which organizers encouraged attendees to use freely. For those who stood in the general admission pits, water bottles were passed around to everyone, as well as sprayed into the crowds—a much-needed relief.”
—Nadia Chaudhury, photo editor
“I loved the over-the-top public art that’s everywhere at Coachella. The installations gave the music festival an otherworldly feel. And the giant roaming snail even had a Twitter account: a minor thrill when it followed me back.”
—Adele Chapin, Washington contributing editor
“The little worlds that sponsors are creating these days. The H&M Loves Music tent at Pitchfork offered air-conditioning and a place to recharge phones, freshen up, and even get pampered by getting your hair styled or your nails done as a DJ dropped a funky soundtrack. Samsung dominated at Lollapalooza with its Galaxy Experience areas, handing out everything from free popsicles to henna tattoos, and in the V.I.P. area you could play ping-pong. Plus the bar was flowing drinks for free with little to no lines. If I were ever to go as a guest and not be running to shoot from one stage to the next, I would be pouncing on these spots.”
—Barry Brecheisen, Chicago contributing photographer
“The inventive ways festivals continue to incorporate sustainability initiatives. At South by Southwest, Glad and Keep America Beautiful provided trash, compost, and recycling areas and teamed up with artist Jason Mercier to create a mural of the United States made of that trash. Digital prints of the mural were available for download—pretty unique souvenir! And at the always-wacky Coachella, a 20-foot-tall dinosaur art piece named Recyclosaurus Rex crushed bottles.”
—Claire Hoffman, managing editor
“More secret shows and intimate performances. Music festivals have grown so large and overcrowded that fans now often find themselves paying $150 per ticket and having to watch their favorite bands from 500 feet away. At South by Southwest, MySpace hosted a series of ‘secret shows’ at various locations around Austin, with artists like Justin Timberlake and Kid Cudi letting fans know the details via social media at the last moment. Not everyone got in, of course, but for those who did, the intimate experience makes the whole festival feel worth the ticket price.”
—Brendan Spiegel, contributing editor
“I loved the spectacular way projections played tricks on the eyes in a truly gorgeous new art piece on the Coachella festival grounds this year. The 100-foot-long installation known as ‘Mirage,’ envisioned by festival art curator Paul Clemente and created and executed by Pearl Media Productions, took the form of a mid-century Palms Springs mansion. A total of 12 zones of high-tech HD projections made it appear that changing activities were taking place inside the home’s rooms and its pool.”
—Alesandra Dubin, West Coast editor
“Brands are finding fun ways to provide an amenity every festivalgoer wants: heat relief. At Pitchfork this year, Vans handed out purple snow cones; at Lollapalooza, Toyota gave away ice-filled bandannas. At Lollapalooza after-parties, Clearasil had an ice cream cart stocked with strawberry popsicles to advertise its new fruity face wash, and here’s my personal fave: There were snow cones made with Fiji Water ice at Gilt City’s Lollapalooza party.”
—Jenny Berg, Chicago bureau chief
