A Festival Director works behind the scenes of an event, from the earliest planning stages to when the performances are taking place. They liaise with vendors (people/organisations selling something), city officials and on-site staff as well as production / logistics managers of the festival.

Search training, experience and funding opportunities in festival directing here. 

What are the main responsibilities of a Festival Director?

• Ensure everyone has everything they need
• Deal with the city where the festival will be held and ensure permits are in place to do this
• Build relationships with companies within the community of that location
• Manage the location, employees, oversee the setup and breakdown (i.e. building the stage and taking it down)
• Deal with contractors
• Create materials such as maps and signage
• Ensure the festival receives adequate insurance coverage

What qualifications do I need to be a Festival Director?

A Festival Director can have a variety of different duties to fulfil and because of this they can be employed based on a variety of experiences they may have. Formal qualifications are not essential although they would help in any of the following areas:

• Events
• Event management
• Business administration
• Merchandising
• Music business
• Finance
• Marketing
• Public relations

Search training opportunities in the subjects above here. 

What skills do I need to be a Festival Director?

Due to the fact there are so many duties within this role you must have a varied skill set. These can include:

• Organisation
• Reliable
• Ability to manage a team
• Ability to think outside the box
• Problem solving
• Attention to detail

What does a career as a Festival Director look like?

There are a number of different work experience, internships and apprenticeships available within this area of work. Additionally build on your skill set by volunteering at these types of events and attend as many events as you can to meet people that are working within the industry already. Make sure you do have travel and expended covered when volunteering and make sure you don’t do too many volunteering experiences.

Learn more about the different experience opportunities available to you here. 

How much does a Festival Director earn?

Festival Directors are often salaried roles, however this can vary depending on the size of the festival. This position is a highly ranked position within the organisations structure of a festival and some have ownership within the event which means their income is dependent on its success.

You can also search The Stage Jobs for vacancies here. 

References:

https://www.careersinmusic.com/festival-director

Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 4 December 2019