Ancient and medieval The
Pythian Games at
Delphi included musical performances, and may be one of the earliest festivals known. During the
Middle Ages, festivals were often held as competitions.
Modern The music festival emerged in England in the 18th century, as an extension of urban concert life into a form of seasonal, cultural festivity, structured around a schedule of music performances, or concerts. Music festivals generally feature regular and extensive programming, rather than more spontaneous or improvised forms of music festivity. In traditional genres such as folk and classical music, a music festival can be defined as a
community event, with performances of singing and instrument playing, that is often presented with a theme such as a
music genre (e.g., blues, folk, jazz, classical music),
nationality, locality of musicians, or
holiday. Music festivals have developed as an industry which contributes to national economies. For example,
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival earned $115 million in 2017. Music festivals can be a way of building a brand for a destination, creating a unique image for it and attracting visitors. For example,
Lollapalooza, Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas,
Ultra Music Festival,
Electric Forest,
Gathering of the Juggalos,
Download Festival and others. While contemporary festivals are often represented as flourishing grounds for extraordinary experiences, they increasingly serve as a way to create cultural identity, lifestyle, community, belonging and self-actualisation. Furthermore, festivals are a manifestation for creating escapism and a seasonal cultural economy to experience ritually and collectively. == Music education ==