In Britain, the Proms (short for the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts) were established in 1895 by conductor Henry Wood. These concerts were held in London’s Royal Albert Hall and were designed to make classical music accessible to the general public. The Proms became an annual event, and their emphasis on mass participation, with audiences able to "promenade" around the hall and attend for a relatively low price, made it one of the most popular music festivals in the UK.
The 20th Century: The Birth of Modern Music Festivals
The 20th century witnessed the explosion of modern music festivals, especially with the rise of popular music genres like rock and roll, jazz, and folk music. These festivals were often associated with countercultures, rebellion, and the desire for a communal experience.
One of the most famous early examples of a modern music festival is the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, which brought together some of the biggest names in rock music, including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and The Who. This festival set the stage for the legendary Woodstock Festival in 1969, which became a symbol of the 1960s counterculture. Woodstock, held in a field in Bethel, New York, attracted over 400,000 people and featured performances by icons such as Bob Dylan, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and Jefferson Airplane. Woodstock was not just a music festival—it was a cultural event that epitomized the spirit of peace, love, and rebellion.
The 1970s and 1980s saw the continued growth of music festivals, with events like Glastonbury in the UK becoming internationally renowned. Glastonbury, founded in 1970 by Michael Eavis, started as a small gathering but quickly grew into one of the world’s largest and most famous music festivals. It became known for its eclectic mix of music genres, including rock, pop, electronic, and world music, as well as its unique blend of art, activism, and environmentalism. shutdown123