Music festivals have been popularized across the world to such a scale that countries started to compete with each other for the best music events. Such social gatherings became a part of our lives and have even been aligned with cultural sights of a specific region, making tourists flock from all corners of the world.
The industry of music events showed it is viable and lucrative not only for music artists but also for organizers. If you happen to be the latter, you should know how essential it is for a music festival to create a recognizable identity and an appealing logo to attract attendees. If you have been beating your head trying to come up with catchy logo design, here are some ideas to draw inspiration from.
Ideas for Music Festival Logo 2019
Be it pop or rap, classic or techno – every music genre is unique and remarkable. The same applies to a music festival. Each one is unique what you’ll need to show in your branding. In a subway, shopping mall, or on the web page, the logo/poster must be as loud as the music playing at the festival. So, make it attention-grabbing, authentic and all that jazz ;)
Channel the Vibe
The best way to make a logo cool is to show what visitors can expect from it. In other words, they should get the vibe. Be it a grunge font, a classical painting, gaudy colors or a picture of the venue – choose whatever you want to represent your business as long as it conveys the ambiance. For example, if you organize a classical or jazz music festival, make the image noble and dashing. You can place a piano or a treble clef on a logo and use an elegant typeface and subtle framing.
Check out the example above of Singapore’s Garden Beats logo with a leafy poster. The event brands itself as a “music and picnic” festival and supports many green and eco-friendly initiatives. Apart from the title that speaks volumes, no one will be second-guessing the vibe of the event after seeing the poster. The colorful leaves spread across the blue background invite you to escape the city bustle and enjoy indie and electro tunes on green Singaporean lawns. On top of straightforward illustrations is the unique font with distinctive dots in letters. Even if the festival organizers were to switch to another background, their signature title would still be recognizable.
Accentuate and Conquer
Layers, textures, forms, and patterns – in an attempt to be creative and original, you risk overloading your artwork with too much detail. Keep it simple. What is equally rewarding and applicable to many music logos is the use of classic artwork with some extra detail. Single out the core element of your logo, be it illustration or text, and make it convey your brand essence.
The example of the Festival Indie De Vocalistas Femeninas perfectly embodies the idea – black watercolor imprint on a white canvas will catch the attention of any passersby. This proves that trends may change but the value of classic design elements remains constant.
Opposites Attract – Choose a Unique Typeface
Don’t underestimate the power of fonts since a mere caption can leave a deep imprint on your readers. With the help of custom-made fonts designed for your music event, you don’t only get a memorable logo but a long-lasting trademark that can serve you for the years ahead.
On a larger scale, you can use such a signature on your merchandise products. The text-based logotype will remain recognizable anywhere and anytime even if the canvas will vary. You can put the print on t-shirts, raincoats and bags of different material and color without worrying that your logo will go unnoticed. A uniquely scribbled text is the core element that will serve not only visually but also pragmatically.
Have a look at the example above. Metro Metro, a hip hop music festival (in Montreal, Canada) pulls off the approach perfectly yet it goes even further. You could think that graffiti font would be a perfect match for an urban music festival, however, the designers have come up with something surprising. They combined two completely different and simple typefaces together to create an original logo, proving you don’t even need to go bonkers with the fonts. The contrasts that are manifested through the blocks, color palette and a black-and-white photograph reflect on the bilingual nature of the region and desire to cater to all the different festival attendees.
Minimal Techno – Minimal Logo
If you have no idea what to start with, think about the music genres and the line-up to be featured at your festival. This doesn’t only bring inspiration but also helps to filter many unorganized ideas. The logo will vary based on the music style and the target audience. Thus, it is logical to play with characteristics and attributes associated with any particular genre.
Naturally, as a business, you want to differentiate yourself. Hence, you may find playing with some typical music genre symbols and elements risky. After all, you don’t want to look just like your competitor, do you? On the other hand, though, such elements will let your target audience immediately understand what your event is all about. So, find a balance between being different but also recognizable enough for people to know you organize a music festival.
Electronic music festivals are associated with an out-of-the-world experience, neon lights, and bright colors. The above Disruption festival logo is a perfect design example for a techno event. The image consists of a mere caption, however, leaves no doubt that it celebrates contemporary dance or electronic music. The layout represents a bright pink background with a peculiarly written title.
Go for Vivid Illustrations
Colorful illustrations are an exceptionally appealing visual expression. Many festivals have created their own original illustrations to bring life into their branding. Among them, there are Boston Calling with a mascot dog, Dreamville with pink clouds and Woodstock 50 with a guitar silhouette. The latter is symbolic since everyone has heard at least once about the iconic rock festival that gathered half a million attendees.
The example above features cartoon characters and geometrically styled background. Altogether, the artwork creates a multi-dimensionaleffect and animates the whole concept of a festival. Not to mention that such a joyful image would look advantageous on big banners and billboards.
Round-up
It is not enough to invite world-known music bands to entice thousands of festival attendees. Posters, social media, merchandise – they all contribute to the promotion of your event. And what binds them all? Logo design and branding.
Have you ever wondered: “What is the festival logo’s trend in our days?” Looking at the examples earlier in the article, you could notice that not one but a combination of different techniques and approaches contribute to a great music festival logo. And what works for rock festival flyer template, doesn’t necessarily work for a country or R&B music logo.
The inspirations are plentiful proving there are no limits when it comes to creativity and art. If you are looking for a designer to help you create a fantastic music festival logo and branding, don’t hesitate to contact DesignBro to visually celebrate your brand essence.
Besides having grown up in the design Industry, Christiaan has advised some of the world’s largest companies on their branding & packaging designs. Has been the resident judge for design awards, and has spoken at numerous global design & marketing events. Christiaan founded the London office of the award-winning Cartils agency, and has founded the DesignBro.com platform.
