Field Maneuvers, the boutique festival based in Norfolk, has announced via social media that 2024 will be the last edition of the festival in its “current form”. While the FM team has “loved improving production values and adding new dimensions to the show”, organising the festival had started to “take over their lives”. Rather than ending the festival completely, it has been decided that from 2025 onwards, Field Maneuvers will return to its roots as a “smaller and more intimate” festival.
By downsizing the festival, the team can spend less time worrying about marketing, ticket sales and paperwork and more time on curation and enjoying the party. To save the festival altogether, Field Maneuvers set up a crowdfunder just under a year ago as no-shows at the 2022 edition led to £40,000 in losses. Fortunately, fans of the boutique festival were given the chance to “Save FM” through donations and by purchasing merchandise designed by the likes of Stewart Armstrong, Pointless Illustrations, and AJAM. The target of £40,000 was met within eight days of the deadline, ensuring that the boutique festival could go ahead for its 10-year anniversary.
The FM festival of 2023 featured artists such as Batu, Ben Sims, DJ Bone, I. JORDAN, and DJ Stingray 313. While the festival was a success, it continued to outgrow itself. The festival, inspired by the free-party movement, began as a physical realisation of its creators’ dream party, but it started to take over the FM team’s lives. Therefore, 2024 marks the end of FM in its current form, but not without a big blowout. Tickets for the final chapter of Field Maneuvers will go on sale on their website this Friday, September 29th.
In conclusion, Field Maneuvers’ downsizing is an opportunity for the festival’s team to focus on what made it special in the first place while still ensuring the event’s longevity. It’s also a reminder of the impact of COVID-19 on the music event industry. While some might see the decision as negative news, it is essential to acknowledge that this is merely a new version and there will be a still-great future ahead of the festival
Read the full article from Mixmag here: Read More