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2019 The Heart Of Roskilde:

FESTIVAL 30,000
SPECIAL
Volunteers

Tobias Nicolai

Denmark’s Roskilde, one of Europe’s largest fes-
tivals, donates 100 percent of its profits to social
and cultural charities benefitting children and
young people in particular.
The event has relied on volunteers since its
inception in 1971. Some 30,000 volunteers work on
site every year. This doesn’t just include people
doing minor tasks in return for a free festival ticket,
but professionals as well.
Mauricio Santana / Getty Images
2018 MARKED THE FIRST three-day run for Lollapalooza Brazil, which reported 100,000 attendees each day There are volunteer specialists working in se-
for the March 23-25 run featuring Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam and The Killers as headliners.
The event got its start in the country in 2012, where it has moved from the Jockey Club in São Paulo curity, staging and the festival’s medical facilities,
to the city’s auto racetrack, Autódromo de Interlagos. including psychologists. Volunteers also staff the
festival stalls, provide camping and directions and
– stretched to three days for the first time that almost doubled last year, jumping 92 give yoga lessons for other volunteers.
with Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers and The percent from R$1,040 in 2017. Volunteers are “the heart of the festival,”
Killers headlining a list of performers that also T4F’s reports from the past five festivals in Roskilde’s international PR manager Martin Hjorth
included The National, Chance the Rapper and São Paulo show a steady increase each year
Liam Gallagher, among others. Daily atten- in gross earnings, as reported in the local Frederiksen told Pollstar, adding, “it’s not just
dance was 85,000, according to boxoffice data currency, the Brazilian Real. The 2014 gross tradition, it’s in our DNA.”
reported to Pollstar. topped at R$23.1 million and then R$23.4 Frederiksen explained that the combination
In 2018, Lollapalooza Brazil, which debuted million, R$30.5 million, R$41.1 million and of running a non-profit event and having that
in 2012, a year after Chile’s event premiered, R$75.9 million consecutively for the next four many volunteers creates a “special atmosphere
also expanded to three days for the first time. years.
In its first two years, the Brazil festival was Daily attendance shows more variance from where people take great care of each other.
held at the Jockey Club in São Paulo, but since year to year, with rises and dips generally We’re in it together! It creates a sense of loyalty
then it has been staged at the city’s auto race- around the 100,000-ticket range, but 2018’s and responsibility, and ultimately people have a
track, Autódromo de Interlagos. total was 47 percent higher than the sin- greater party because they know they’re part of
Boxoffice counts reported last year by T4F- gle-day attendance of 67,936 in 2014. something bigger.”
Time For Fun – producer of the festival along Argentina’s 2019 Lollapalooza festival on
with C3 Presents and WME – showed 100,000 March 29-31 also stretched over three days for The volunteers are also the reason Roskilde
attendees each day for the March 23-25 run the second consecutive year, as it did in Chile can spend more of its ticketing income on artists.
that featured, as in the other two markets, Red and Brazil. One of last year’s headliners, Eminem, pulled the
Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam and The Killers as The festival’s first year of operation in largest crowd in Roskilde history, when more than
headliners. Buenos Aires was 2014 with an April 1-2 stint 100,000 people assembled in front of the festival’s
Last year’s overall gross reached $23.3 that featured Arcade Fire, Red Hot Chili Pep-
million (USD) based on tickets that ranged pers, Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden among main stage on July 4.
in price from R$297.50 to R$2,000 ($91.50- the slate of entertainers. Producers have not This year’s lineup includes Janelle Monáe, Noel
$615.50 USD). That set a new single-day gross reported box-office data from the Argentina Gallagher, Johnny Marr, Vampire Weekend, The
record for the event that topped earnings from festival since the opening year, which saw Cure, Bob Dylan, Cardi B, Robyn, Christine and the
the previous year by $1.1 million. Contributing a $10.7 million gross from just over 50,000 Queens and Rosalía. A total of 171 musical acts will
to the rise in gross sales was a top ticket price attendees each day. s
perform at Roskilde 2019, which is scheduled for
June 29-July 6. s
24 | APRIL 8, 2019