Festivals seem like they're only for artists with huge followings and major label backing. But the truth is, most festivals have multiple stages, and the smaller stages need to be filled with artists the promoter hasn't heard of yet. That's your opportunity.
Understand How Festival Booking Works
Big festivals (Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, SXSW official) book their headliners through agents and managers at major agencies. You're not getting on those stages without representation.
But smaller and mid-size festivals, the ones with 500-5,000 attendees, work differently. Many of them have open submission processes. Some book through personal connections. And nearly all of them have stages specifically reserved for emerging and local artists.
These are the festivals you should be targeting.
Find the Right Festivals
Start by searching for festivals in your genre within driving distance of your home base. Look for:
- Genre-specific festivals. Folk festivals, blues festivals, jazz festivals, indie rock showcases. These are more likely to book unknown artists in your genre than a general multi-genre event.
- Community and city festivals. Fourth of July celebrations, harvest festivals, art walks, food festivals. Many of these need live music and have small budgets, which means they're open to booking unknown artists.
- Showcase festivals. Events like SXSW, AmericanaFest, and Folk Alliance have showcase stages where emerging artists can apply to perform.
- House concerts and micro-festivals. The underground festival circuit is thriving. These 50-200 person events book almost exclusively through personal connections and cold outreach.
How to Apply
Most festivals have a submission form on their website, usually available 6-12 months before the event. Here's what to include:
- A one-paragraph bio focused on your live performance
- Your best live video (not a studio recording)
- Links to your music (Spotify, Bandcamp)
- Your draw estimate (be honest)
- What stage or time slot you'd be right for
- Any local connections or co-billing options
Some festivals charge a submission fee ($10-50). This is normal for larger festivals. Don't pay more than $50. And never pay to play. Submission fees and pay-to-play are different things.
The Cold Outreach Approach
For smaller festivals that don't have a formal application process, email the organizer directly. Use the same approach you'd use for a venue:
- Short email (5-6 sentences)
- Who you are and what you sound like
- Link to a live video
- Ask if they have spots available for emerging artists
Follow up if you don't hear back. Festival organizers are just as busy as venue bookers, if not more so.
Leverage Your Local Shows
The best way to get festival bookings is to play a lot of local shows first. Festival organizers attend local shows to scout talent. If they see you playing a packed room at a local venue, you're infinitely more likely to get a festival invite than if you cold email them with no local track record.
This is another reason why playing as many local gigs as possible matters. Every show is an audition for something bigger.
Start Small, Build Up
Your first festival probably won't be a 10,000-person event. It'll be a local music showcase with 200 people. That's perfect. Play it well, get photos and video, and use it as proof when you apply to the next one. Each festival you play makes the next one easier to get.
Shows For Artists sends booking emails to real venues from your Gmail. from $49/month. Cancel anytime.