First it was Squamish Music Festival that went bankrupt, and then it was Pemby Fest. Other than the non-profit Vancouver Folk Music Festival which continues to go strong, B.C. doesn’t have a good track record when it comes to festivals featuring top international billboard artists. So it comes as music to the ears to that Vancouver is in for a two-day music festival featuring Lorde, Alessia Cara and the Strumbellas, to name a few. To top it off, ticket prices are fairly low, starting at $69 for a day pass.
So, who’s behind the Sept. 3-4 festival at the PNE and how the heck are they making it work? It’s a young, “monster music brand that has tentacles in radio, custom playlists and events,” says Rob Farina, head of the Bell Media-backed iHeartRadio. As for how they’re making it work financially, the festival itself uses an economic model that is not only resilient to cash shortfalls, but it offers low ticket prices.
First, they cut a deal with the artists. In exchange for promotion and marketing opportunities through the iHeartRadio brand, artists agree to lower their performance price, Farina says.
“That’s how we get really large artists that usually command a massive payday for a performance; we’re able to get them at better prices.” Next they pick an established, easy-access venue. Rather than heading out into a huge field with fifty thousand people, “we go into venues where there’s kind of a production foundation, a footprint to piggyback on and PNE is a perfect example,” Farina says.
Finally, the bottom line is somewhat flexible. Unlike with most festivals, Beach Ball doesn’t need to make a huge profit to stay afloat.
“Our model is that we use these shows to market the iHeartRadio brand, and they’re not designed to... compete with those larger scale festivals,” he says.
“Ultimately our priority is making sure we deliver the best fan experience and knowing that if there’s any kind of [financial] shortfall or the margins aren’t quite where we want them to be, that the primary reason we do these shows is to market our local radio stations and the iHeartRadio brand,” Farina says.
Beyond the festival in Vancouver, there are plans to launch festivals in Toronto and Montreal for later this year, and the iHeartRadio WestFest just wrapped up in Calgary.
“We’re really excited to be bringing the first iHeartRadio event to Vancouver, it’s been a long time coming,” Farina says.
• iHeartRadio Beach Ball runs Sept. 3–4 at the Pacific National Exhibition. Tickets $69 - $119, pne.ca.
