THE ROCK festival is going corporate. The voracious appetite of sponsorship for new events and the spiralling costs of putting on an event mean that what were once havens of spontaneity, fun and attitude are becoming unashamed logo-fests.
Glastonbury's off, and the takeover of the suits means that many of this year's festivals are offering outdoor entertainment with unprecedented levels of corporate visibility - so leave the rucksack at home and take a briefcase for your branded freebies.
Carling Premier (the Reading festival), Virgin (V2001) and Ericsson Mobile Phones (Homelands festival) are just three of the many sponsors of UK festivals this year. This year's Fleadh in Finsbury Park is sponsored by a mineral water manufacturer, Ballygowan, and the Big Chill has a number of sponsors including HaagenDazs ice cream and Asahi Beer.
Other traditional summer events are also affected: the Vodafone Derby is hosting a number of acts including Steps, Tony Hadley and Emma Bunton. And the stars of the bigger festivals often bring their own marketing retinue: Tommy Hilfiger is sponsoring the Rolling Stones, and Pepsi are behind the Spice Girls and Robbie Williams.
This logo overload will be nowhere more apparent than at V2001, the Virgin- sponsored event in August at venues in Essex and Staffordshire. Earlier this year Nestle tried to get involved with V2001 but found that politically correct bands such as Pulp promptly pulled out due to the company's links with breast milk substitutes.
At the event, V2001 festies who tire of watching the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Coldplay, David Gray or Toploader can aim for a trailer park music area powered by a Siemens mobile with an MP3 player. "It's got the Virgin logo on, but not to scary effect," says Virgin.
Bruce Dessau, 40, a former NME contributor, is not impressed. "Most festivals are so crap I don't go any more. The sponsorship is too intrusive."
James Kydd, the brand director of Virgin Mobile, responded: "Our money helps make the festival better - it ensures there are enough loos, it means the ticket prices don't have to be so high and it means that the organisers can plan a really good, safe festival," he says. "You can go too far down the corporate road, but as we've got a captive audience for two days and people do get bored, we try to do things that are appropriate."
The commercial trend is in part a response to increased public interest. But the issue of safety, which was highlighted last summer at the Roskilde festival in Denmark when nine fans were crushed to death in front of the stage after slipping in mud, means that security budgets are a priority.
Katrina Larkin is the co-founder and organiser of The Big Chill, a supremely laid-back musical and arts event set in the grounds of a castle in Dorset in August. Even at such a mellow-fest there are problems. "Our budget for security just gets higher every year. There is much more pressure: nobody wants anything like [Roskilde] happening at their festival or any other," she says. "But if people carry on jumping over fences there aren't going to be any festivals. We can't afford the extra security."
Ascot and Wimbledon may not suffer from gatecrashers, but at many sporting events the number of ordinary paying punters is shrinking as companies snap up block bookings. Estimates say that the UK corporate hospitality industry will be worth pounds 998m by 2003 and, according to a recent report by the market analysis company MAPS, Britain has a relatively sophisticated market due to the traditional summer season. Must-do venues on the hospitality rounds are Wimbledon, Twickenham, Ascot, the Open golf and Lords.
The costs are high. On men's final day at Wimbledon, a seat, Pimms, champagne, a four-course lunch, tea with the obligatory strawberries and a courtesy umbrella will set you back pounds 2,270 per person. Surprisingly, only two-thirds of host companies bother to measure the effectiveness of their generosity after the event. One financial journalist who is frequently invited to sporting and arts events by major banks and insurance companies said: "There is an odd sense of taking a place which a real fan would kill for. It's part of the job and often fun but ultimately I'd prefer to be choosing my own events and my own companions for the day."
Corporate influence on what used to be leisurely get-togethers and events is unlikely to go away. "It's a difficult balance," admits Ms Larkin. "But you don't put festivals on to make money. People have paid to come to the event and not to be sold things - the majority of our guests live in cities and want to escape to a beautiful setting."
Regular festival-goer Eileen Leahy, 30, agrees. "I couldn't believe it when one year at Glastonbury the magazine Select was one of the sponsors and they brought out a newspaper every day. Or you get given little pouches to wear so you can carry your Daily Mail guide to the festivals, or whatever. You feel a huge marketing presence."
THE SOUNDS OF SUMMER - A GUIDE TO THE BIGGEST GATHERINGS BETWEEN NOW AND SEPTEMBER
GATECRASHER SOUND SYSTEM
Oxfordshire
16 June
Bright young thing of festivals - prepare to feel old
Appearing: Craig David, Chemical Brothers
Tickets: pounds 46 (0870 902 0001)
FLEADH
London
16 June
The only festival for studenty Oirish pretenders
Appearing: Neil Young, The Waterboys
Tickets: pounds 35 (020 7344 0044)
T IN THE PARK
Balado, nr Kinross
7-8 July
Scottish indie-heavy squash-fest
Appearing: Catatonia, Texas
Tickets: pounds 84 (0141 339 8383)
ESSENTIAL
London
14-16 July
Moved from Brighton to Hackney Marshes to avoid foot and mouth
Appearing: Isaac Hayes, Stereo MCs
Tickets: pounds 35 (09068 230190)
WOMAD
Reading
27-29 July
World music is respite from cheese
Appearing: Asian Dub Foundation, Mabulu
Tickets: pounds 77.50 (0118 939 0930)
MINISTRY OF SOUND
Knebworth
11 August
Scheduled to fill the Glastonbury gap. Strongbow Loafing Lounges offering cider over dance
Appearing: Jamiroquai, Bent
Tickets: pounds 45 (0870 902 0004)
V2001
Chelmsford and Staffordshire.
18-19 August
Virgin event with areas offering music piped to mobile phones
Appearing: Kylie Minogue, Nelly Furtado.
Tickets: pounds 38.50 (day rate) (0115 912 9000)
CREAMFIELDS
Liverpool
25 August
Features an Evian Spa Resort with swimming pool filled with 45,000 gallons of the mineral water
Appearing: Gorillaz, Fatboy Slim
Tickets: pounds 48.50 (0870 242 7326)
THE CARLING WEEKEND
Reading and Leeds
25-28 August
Carling has sponsored it for years
Appearing: Oasis, Pulp
Tickets: pounds 80 (08701 500044)
Copyright 2001 Independent Newspapers UK Limited
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.
