The popularity of summer music festivals has exploded over the past decade, contributing greatly to the tourism industry worldwide.

For example, in the UK, music festival revenue is anticipated to rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.98% from USD $1.92 billion in 2023 to USD $ 2.33 billion by 2027.

Music festivals are typically assumed to be aimed at the 18-35 age bracket. But their popularity has expanded in the past decade. Festivals all over Europe and the rest of the world now attract all ages, music tastes, and income levels. But regardless of the size and type of event, all festival-goers choose to go to experience new and exciting things, whether that’s exploring musical genres, tasting delicious foods, or making friends.

Summer music festivals are also the perfect opportunity for e-commerce brands to get noticed by audiences who are looking to try something new and prepare themselves for their anticipated events. With that in mind, here's your guide to targeting diverse festival-going audiences with your e-commerce brand this summer.

The must-know music festival statistics

Throughout 2020 and 2021, the impact of the pandemic slowed down the music festival economy worldwide. With that said, the industry is bouncing back, as consumers are eager to attend in-person events now that the worst of the health crisis has passed.

To illustrate, in 2019, festival revenue in the UK reached £2.77 billion, but due to the pandemic, it dropped to just £326 million in 2021. However, the forecast for this year is much more promising, with revenue expected to increase to £2.79 billion, surpassing pre-pandemic figures.  

Music fans have not been put off concerts despite rising ticket prices for major festivals like Glastonbury. In fact, tickets for the delayed 2020 Glastonbury Festival sold out in just 33 minutes.

To capitalise on Brits' enthusiasm for music festivals, e-commerce brands should note that most people wait for three-quarters of a music festival line-up to be announced before buying their tickets. So, watch for line-up announcements and last-minute additions to schedules to keep your brand relevant at the right time. 

On average, festival attendees in the UK spend £432 for each festival they attend, with smart card users splashing out the most – spending 25%- 40% more than those who take cash to festivals. This figure includes ticket prices, food and drink at the festival, and preparations for the event. 

E-commerce brands can leverage festival-goers' spending power by offering specific festival-related products such as t-shirts, hats, phone cases, water bottles, or even branded tents and camping gear. 

To avoid copyright issues, sellers can create original designs or obtain permission to use official logos and branding from the event organisers. Furthermore, partnering with event organisers to offer exclusive merchandise or special discounts to festival-goers can create a win-win situation for both the e-commerce seller and the event.

E-commerce sellers can also expand their reach beyond event attendees by leveraging the rising popularity of live-streaming music events in their marketing strategies. 

To illustrate, according to a global poll, 70% of musicians appeared in live-streaming performances in 2021. Additionally, 85% of artists polled said they planned to include live-streaming as a regular part of their performance schedules in the years ahead. 

Brands can capitalise on this trend by sponsoring broadcasts, hosting their own performances, or creating merchandise that celebrates the pioneers of this medium. 

According to Mintel's 2022 findings, 27% of people choose to live-stream music events due to cost-effectiveness, and 31% prefer televised festival coverage for better visibility. Embracing live-streaming presents e-commerce sellers with a compelling opportunity to increase sales and tap into a wider audience.

Key dates to plan around

From EDM to jazz to rock music, thousands of music festivals are planned for the year ahead across the UK, Europe and the rest of the world. Here’s a short list of some of the biggest music events to add to your marketing calendar: 

As you can see, the festival season each year peaks from June to August in the Northern Hemisphere. For those in the Southern Hemisphere, peak festival season varies, with some events during winter and some during summer. In light of this, start planning your marketing and e-commerce promotions around one month in advance to ensure you can attract maximum sales from festival-goers.

How to prepare your e-commerce brand for festival season

Research popular festival products

As the festival season fast approaches, analyse data from social media influences and market research studies to help you get some clues on the products your audience might be searching for in preparation for these events. 

Here are some example product ideas to get you started:

Clothing

Festival clothing is a chance for attendees to wear something out of the ordinary, show their personality, and stay comfortable whatever the weather. The market for rainwear, which includes boots and waterproof trousers in addition to raincoats and jackets, is expected to reach USD $1 billion in value in 2023. By 2028, it's been estimated that this figure will rise to USD $1.5 billion. So, it's safe to assume that even in the middle of summer, festival-goers may be interested in purchasing some waterproof and warm clothing for overnight events.

• Streetwear is the most common clothing style favoured by festival-goers in the UK, closely followed by 'funny' and 'original' clothing. 
• Two-fifths of festival-goers in the UK considered wearing original sunglasses to music festivals, making it the most common festival accessory in 2022.

In addition to the well-known products that could fall under the ‘festival clothing’ category, here’s a selection of popular e-commerce products you may wish to consider adding to your store listings – according to search behaviour:

• UK: sequins, romper suit, mesh, raincoat, rave outfit, wellies, bralette
• France: mini dress, sequins, rave costume, round sunglasses, vintage, belt scarf, snapback cap, shoulder bag, bandana
• Singapore: bandana, cardigan, long-sleeved t-shirt, fleece gloves, casual shorts, cosplay costumes, hoody
• Netherlands: festival outfit rain, jumpsuit, festival outfit cold weather, party pants, maxi dress, boho kaftan, neon bodysuit, side bag, waterproof jacket
• Germany: vintage, party outfit, medieval clothing, 90s outfit, fair trade clothing, 80s outfit
• Australia: bralette, leg warmers, waterproof poncho, base layer set, headband, cross-body bag, baseball cap, open toe sandals, hoodie
• New Zealand: rave outfit, leggings, crop top, mini shorts, rave two piece, short overalls, capri pants, mesh top, hoodie jacket, tank top

^{*Please note, products sourced from Amazon Best Seller List and may be subject to change.}

Camping gear

Festival camping basics, like tents, sleeping bags and roll mats, are essential for overnight attendees of music events. However, depending on the festival's locale, you may also want to include gas stoves and cookware in your store's listings. Check out your target festival website to learn about the food vendors attending. 

In all likelihood, if your event is only a two-night festival and there are many food stalls advertised, this extra camping gear isn't very profitable. On the other hand, if your target event is relatively small, or the event lasts for three or more nights, you may find that more festival goers want to pack their own food or spend more time at their campsite, in which case, you can sell camping gear like gazebos, and chairs, to make them more comfortable.

In 2021, UK consumers spent approximately £11.3 billion on outdoor recreation equipment, including festival camping gear.

In addition to the well-known products that could fall under the ‘festival camping’ category, here’s a selection of popular e-commerce camping products you may wish to consider adding to your store listings:

• UK: bell tent, foldable camping chair, led camping light, solar lamp/phone charging station, inflatable mattress
• New Zealand: pocket blanket, inflatable lounger, pop-up tent, beach towel, camping fan,
• Australia: camp shower, waterproof picnic blanket, quick inflation camping mattress, inflatable seat cushion, magnetic camping utensils
• Netherlands: camping toilet, collapsible water container, drinks cooler, solar lantern, disposable compressed towels,
• Germany: disposable rain poncho, hammock, hanging camping lamp, inflatable camping pillow, windshield for camping stove,
• France: portable gas stove, camping toilet, portable grill, enamel mug, foot pump

^{*Please note, products sourced from Amazon Best Seller List and may be subject to change.}

Safety Accessories

Festival safety accessories are great products to market to festival goers, as they help them plan and think about how they can keep themselves and their friends safe during live music events. You can also take the opportunity to create bundles of products to boost your average order value before your customers check out.

Ear plugs, sunscreen, water bottles, padlocks and torches are handy, low-ticket items that are easy to source and appeal to a wide range of people. But you can also consider the geography of your chosen festival location and stock items like insect repellent, portable fans or emergency foil blankets to give customers extra protection for these events.

In addition to the well-known products that could fall under the ‘festival safety accessories' category, here’s a selection of popular e-commerce products you may wish to consider adding to your store listings:

• UK: umbrella hat, rain poncho, pocket blanket, first aid kit, dynamo torch
• New Zealand: hydration pack, anti-theft shoulder bag, camping fan, foldable handheld fan, anti-theft phone tether
• Australia: LED head torch, anti-theft money belt, ear defenders, mosquito net, mosquito head net
• Singapore: safety belt glove clips, latex gloves, waterproof rain cap, luminous tape, padlock
• Netherlands: children’s id wristband, waterproof poncho, loop ear plugs, first aid kit, safety vest
• Germany: LED torch, id wristbands, power glow sticks, mini torch, lockable safety box
• France: disposable poncho, loop ear plugs, disposable ear plugs, rechargeable hand warmer, camping safety book

^{*Please note, products sourced from Amazon Best Seller List and may be subject to change.}

Personal care

Every festival will have basic toilet and shower facilities. Still, the queues are often long, the facilities become very dirty by the end of the first day, and forgetting to bring your own toilet roll is a recipe for disaster.

Personal care and toiletry items are great to sell in your e-commerce store. For added appeal, offer miniature-sized products that can easily fit into your customers' bags.

In addition to the well-known products that could fall under the ‘festival personal care' category, here’s a selection of popular e-commerce products you may wish to consider adding to your store listings:

• UK: biodegradable wet wipes, female urinal, compressed towels, hand sanitiser, mini spray bottles
• New Zealand: biodegradable wipes, female urinal, cooling patches, anti-chafe balm, insect repellent bracelets
• Australia: quick drying towel, disposable urinal bag, cool patches, refillable travel cosmetics bottles, aloe vera spray
• Singapore: hair conditioning spray, hanging toiletries bag, silicone cosmetics containers, refillable deodorant, silicone toothbrush case
• Netherlands: personal dry shower spray, body glitter, disposable toilet seat covers, silicone makeup brush case, travel-size mouthwash
• Germany: female urinal, unisex urine bottle, handheld fan, portable bidet, mini neck fan
• France: makeup remover pads, silicone toothbrush cover, travel jewellery box, micellar water, foldable hairbrush

^{*Please note, products sourced from Amazon Best Seller List and may be subject to change.}

Miscellaneous festival accessories

Letting your hair down and not taking yourself too seriously at festivals is an aspect of festival culture that keeps people returning to these events year after year. 

Whether your customers are putting on costumes and face paint before heading to the main stage, or starting an impromptu sing-song at their campsite, stocking miscellaneous festival accessories can be a profitable pursuit for your e-commerce brand. 

So, don't overlook fun accessories, like dressing up attire, portable Bluetooth speakers and easy-to-carry items to brighten your customers' festival days and nights.

In addition to the well-known products that could fall under this category, here’s a selection of popular e-commerce products you may wish to consider adding to your store listings:

• UK: inflatable drinks cooler, glow sticks, foldable silicone serving plate, inflatable lounger, foldable stool
• New Zealand: LED wristbands, hair tinsel, bubble machine, flags, bunting
• Australia: jewel face stickers, foldaway cup carrier, flags, rainbow stickers, flower garland
• Singapore: binoculars, table tennis racket set, paper lantern, paper bunting, yard sign and stand
• Netherlands: drinks carrier, festival guide book, hanging disco ball, decorative bunting, mini propeller hat
• Germany: hanging wine glass holder, outdoor bunting, solar radio, mini disco ball light, dare pong game
• France: inflatable sofa, confetti balloons, glow sticks, eco-friendly glitter, hair dye crayons

^{*Please note, products sourced from Amazon Best Seller List and may be subject to change.}

Sourcing these products from wholesalers or drop ship suppliers on sites like AliExpress and Alibaba is relatively straightforward. However, if you want your brand to stand out from the competition, consider working with a graphic designer and print-on-demand (POD) company to add your own personalised branding to your festival goods. By searching through your app store, you can easily connect your e-commerce storefront to a POD brand if you use a platform like Shopify or WooCommerce. 

Alternatively, you can find your own third-party supplier and request a test sample to check the quality of the print. 

A World Account from WorldFirst makes it easy to pay overseas suppliers in their home currency. You can also use it to collect customer payments on 100+ global marketplaces like Amazon, and Cdiscount.

Set up marketing campaigns

As mentioned previously, starting your festival promotions early is vital. Here are a few key strategies to keep in mind: 

• Ensure your website is mobile-optimised, as 82% of festival attendees worldwide have smartphones
• Apply discounts and product bundles, as they are great ways to entice customers and create a sense of urgency around your offerings
• Consider partnering with social media influencers who can help spread the word about your products and promotions
• Use social media hashtags to help your campaign reach a wider audience and generate buzz around your brand
• Create competitions and giveaways to engage your audience further and encourage them to purchase
• Offer free shipping as it provides an incentive for customers to purchase and helps reduce cart abandonment rates. You can either factor the cost into your product pricing or set a minimum order threshold for free delivery to ensure affordability.

 By leveraging these tactics, you can build excitement around your festival offerings and create a memorable customer experience.

Streamline order processing

Streamlining order processing is crucial in ensuring a successful festival sales season. One way to achieve this is by automating processing with order management systems (OMS) to ensure accuracy and efficiency.

Measuring and optimising picking, packing, and shipping performance is vital to reduce errors and improve speed. 

Implementing a transparent and fair returns policy is also essential to build customer trust, while communicating the last shipping dates can help avoid disappointment. 

Above all, providing best-in-class customer service and being helpful to customers can help to build loyalty and drive repeat business.

Create user-generated content

Creating user-generated content can help build a sense of community around your brand during the summer festival season. Encourage your customers to share their festival experience and photos under unique hashtags to help foster brand awareness and loyalty. 

You can also implement a refer-a-friend scheme to encourage consumers to spread the word about your offerings. This tactic can also help you secure repeat business for next year's festival season. 

Sites like ReferralCandy make it easy to set up referral schemes through your e-commerce platform and track user interactions and ROI.

Pay and get paid like a local

The summer music festival season can generate sustained interest in your e-commerce brand all year round, provided you research your target demographics carefully, choose the best festival products and provide a smooth service at your checkout pages to seal the deal. 

Setting up a World Account from WorldFirst means you can pay overseas suppliers like a local and enable your international customers to pay in their home currencies, which can also help boost conversions. Open an account for free or call us on +44 207 326 9120 for more information.