The audience question never goes away.

principle — attributed to Laurie Kirby

Every season, the same first question: who is in the audience. Demographics shift, fandom evolves, sponsor priorities reset, the ten-year-old who bought the wristband in 2015 is now twenty and not buying. The festival that locks its audience definition in year one and stops asking is the festival that wakes up in year five with a half-empty room and no idea why. The audience question is not a kickoff exercise. It is the standing item on every planning meeting.

For festival directors entering year three or later.

audience, evolution, discipline, renewal