Kylie McCormick
University of Birmingham
Create Your Own Liminal: the interesting way Glastonbury fans created a liminal experience in 2020 and what Festival Organizers should learn
(abstract)
This paper will be a three staged exploration of the importance of the liminal experience noted in music festivals, how festival attendees of Glastonbury 2020 crafted their liminal experience, and what music festival organizers should encourage for the potential festival landscape in 2021. The paper begins first with a brief understanding of the liminal experience including a brief survey of the liminal process and an understanding of how a majority of music festivals curate the liminal. The paper will then move on to explore the ways in which Glastonbury 2020 was adopted by individuals at home, curating their own spaces to craft the liminal. Glastonbury 2020 as a case study offers an interesting glimpse into the way in which individual fans, understanding the liminal experience, built their own festival. The paper will end with a discussion of how and why festival organisers should employ different suggestions to help their festival attendees enjoy the festival experience from the safety of their homes.
Biography of the author:
Kylie McCormick is a PhD researcher at the University of Birmingham. Her research focuses on the creation of communal identity in music festivals and church congregational communities. Taking a theological and social science approach, Kylie examines not only the importance of the music festival experience for the attendee but also the lasting impact of music festival experiences.