Source: Glastonbury tips
Music has the ability to unite people and this is why it is undoubtedly and unarguably the most popular form of art. This is also another reason why music festivals are way too popular. Just the thought of singing a song with their favorite artists and thousands of other people at the same time in the open is enough to excite any music lover. The earliest music festival and its record dates back to ancient Greece in the 6th Century BC. The ancient Greeks used to hold competitions in music, drama, poetry, etc. in order to honor God.
Cut back to the present times, music festivals have become more mainstream and it has become another way to earn money. The big bucks are the reason why some of these years-old music festivals are still continuing to this day. Artists also look forward to performing in these festivals for a number of reasons. These music festivals are known to be beneficial, especially for newbies and local artists. The thousands of sometimes millions of music fans attending the festivals can help with big exposure. Another benefit of festivals is undoubtedly the money. With digitalization and practically subscriptions being low-cost on online streaming platforms, music has become extremely accessible. Festivals give artists the opportunity to have exposure and a generous amount of ticket sales which is profitable. But do you know what are some of the oldest music festivals in the world are still continuing? Let’s take a look at these…
1/7.
Montreux Jazz Festival in 1967
Started back in 1967, Montreux Jazz Festival celebrated its 56th birthday this year. Every year it is held in Montreux, which is on the shoreline of Lake Geneva, Switzerland. Although the festival originally started in an old casino which later got burned down. When it was started it was only reserved for jazz music and exclusively for jazz musicians like Keith Jarret, Miles Davis, etc. Later on, the festival started to open its door to other genres of music such as pop, rock, and hip-hop along with blues and soul genres. Some of the artists that have headlined this festival are Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Lana Del Rey, Muse, etc. Originally started as a three-day event, this festival has grown to a time span of two weeks now.
2/7.
Summerfest in 1968
If you are a music lover, surely you have dreamt of attending Summerfest at least once in your lifetime. Summerfest has also made it to the Guinness World Record for being the “largest music festival” which has an attendance number of 800,000 to 1,000,000 people. Inspired by Germany’s Oktoberfest, it was started in 968 by then-Mayor Henry W. Maier and is now held in the Nike Missile Site, USA. Some of the recent headliners are Jennifer Lopez, The Weeknd, Billie Eilish, etc.
3/7.
Woodstock in 1969
The Woodstock Music and Art Fair festival was started in 1969 on Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, New York, USA. Popularly known as Woodstock Rock Festival is a three-day festival that is a perfect opportunity for people to escape into the world of music and gives a message of peace.
4/7.
Glastonbury Festival in 1970
It is also known as the “festival royalty in the UK”, Glastonbury has celebrated its 52nd anniversary this year which started like the Woodstock festival. This free music festival was also started in support of peace and unity. Over time, it has now become a five-day festival that had headliners like David Bowie, Pink Floyd Ed Sheeran, Stormzy, etc.
5/7.
Pinkpop in 1970
The Netherlands has also made it into the list with its music festival Pinkpop, which is held in Megaland, Landgraaf. This three-day festival started in 1970 and now only allows 60,000 people to attend in order to stop overcrowding. Green Day, Biffy Clyro, and Martin Garrix are some of the recent headliners.
6/7.
Rock in Rio in 1985
One of the biggest festivals in the world with over annual attendance of 1.5 million people, this festival first started back in 1985 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Later on due to its popularity, this festival branched out to several other locations like Madrid, Las Vegas, and Lisbon. It is also the first music festival to ever make people enjoy Queen and AC/DC for the first time. Some of the recent headliners are Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato, Drake, Post Malone, Bon Jovi, Dua Lipa, etc.
7/7.
Lollapalooza in 1991
Lollapalooza, started in 1991, was originally inspired by the UK’s Reading and Leeds Festival. For 6 years straight the festival ran with a huge crowd and became one of the most iconic festivals in North America. After stopping for some years, it revived in 2003 and is now one of the longest-running music festivals in the world.
Check out For More News Updates on Google News