“It’s my third or fourth time here and I always enjoy it. Here I know that I’ll always find some acts to bring back to Hungary. I really love the festival. It’s a really well organized, very eclectic bill. It’s also really nice to meet the colleagues too. I’ve met a lot of my German colleagues this year. And Aarhus is a really nice city!”
(Fruzsina Szep, Sziget Festival, Hungary)
“Amazing Festival. It’s my first time here. People are beautiful and the weather is beautiful. There’s a very relaxed atmosphere compared to other festival like this, and that’s really great.”
(Natalie Judge, Matador Records, UK)
Even though the last concerts are still being played and the films are still showing in the Øst For Paradis cinema at the time of writing, we can conclude that the 20th anniversary of the SPOT Festival became the blast of a party we had all hoped it would.
For the last four days more than 6000 music fans, industry people, guests, musicians, volunteers, etc. have made Aarhus the hotspot of Northern Europe for music, film, interactive and all the grey areas in between and beyond clearly defined genres. And to that number, we can add the thousands of Aarhus citizens who joined the free SPOT party outside the gates at the new, big outdoor SPOT Royal Stage as well as at the free SPOT Film Festival.
165 concerts, approximately 40 films and the same number of seminars – in most cases in packed venues and with great atmosphere and interest from the ever-enthusiastic SPOT crowd.
With an equally pronounced interest from the music business, where more than 1100 Danish music industry people met 350 international colleagues at fruitful networking sessions, which were in great demand. Both those which had been arranged by the Danish music business and those where the international parties used SPOT as a launching pad for their messages: Believe Digital, the MaMA Festival and Berlin Music Week – just like SPOT has collaborated with the M’era Luna-festival and FKP Scorpio.
With the biggest turn-up so far from hot English record labels, the biggest delegation from France in SPOT history, and once again with a massive presence of the German industry, which with more than 150 delegates boasts the biggest international delegation by a mile.
The media coverage has been great so far. Live transmissions from SPOT on Le Mouv’ and Bayrische Rundfunk. Just like other foreign radio channels, printed media, online magazines and blogs right now and in the days to come will spread the word about the party in Aarhus.
Or as Gunnar Madsen, head of SPOT Festival, puts it:
“It has been the most comprehensive festival programme so far and with great turn-up – and everything has run smoothly. If we have lived up to the expectations or exceeded them, we are happy. If we have made mistakes, we are determined to correct them for next year. We are all extremely grateful for the serious interest in Danish and Nordic music.”
We’ll leave you with a few more quotes from the festival:
“It’s been very exciting. Well-organised, Good stages, and everything on schedule – that makes it easy to be at a festival. Byrta was excellent. Sekouia (right: Photo by Kim Daugaard) would be great on the Primavera Festival stage at three o’clock in the morning. Kill J are so ready to be exported.”
Dario Manrique, Rolling Stone Magazine, Spain
“The essence of SPOT Festival lies in it’s name: SPOT. It is a fantastic opportunity to spot new talent and meet Danish and international people in the music business. SPOT is the perfect mix of business, networking and enjoying music.”
(Frank Lenggenhager – Lautstark, Switzerland)
“I really like the new big, free outdoor venue at SPOT – now the festival seems less hidden. It’s up front. It’s in your face. It’s happening. This year you have put on a wider range of styles. The quirkier bands have become quirkier than before. Byrta were outrageous, Penny Police and the choir was special, Elin Kåven… People are stretching themselves. I like that.”
(Kieron Tyler, Mojo/The Arts Desk, UK)
“People are happy. There’s a good feel. I have seen many fine shows. The concert in the Rainbow at ARoS, Spillemændene, and the Go Go Berlin frontman – that man needs a stadium! I can’t see him in a small club…”
(Helgi Sigurdsson, Morgunbladid, Iceland)
We’ll leave you for now with a glimpse of one of SPOT 2014’s acclaimed shows, “The Portuguese Man of War” at ARoS’ Your Rainbow Panorama.
The Portuguese Man Of War – Your Rainbow Panorama – ARoS – Spot festival from Skipper Ib on Vimeo.
