Pollstar (04/15/22) Brown, Eric Renner

The music festival market is on the road to recovery from COVID-19, judging by the many fests announced for spring, summer and fall of this year. Supply chain, staffing and coronavirus-related disruptions have not gone away, but they have diminished significantly in terms of scope and scale, while event organizers are better equipped than ever to meet these challenges. Coachella returned to Indio, California, with starring acts Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd. Meanwhile, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest, Hangout, Boston Calling, BottleRock, Forecastle, Governors Ball, Bonnaroo, Pitchfork, Lollapalooza and Firefly have all returned to their normal calendar slots. "The most surprising thing about the 2022 festival season is how many keep popping up in regards to new original content," notes Michael Berg, who co-founded North Coast, Suwannee Halloween and the new Chicago-area Sacred Rose fests. Traditional fests are expanding into new areas, while new fests, many of them boutique, genre-specific or both, are in abundance. Moreover, audiences are eager to return. "Many events still feel like a reunion and something special," says Seth Dodson, Pitchfork's executive production director for events and festivals.

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