How To Get Booked For Festivals: 5 Things Bookers Look For
Festival season is officially kicking off. You’ve got the music. You’ve got the setlist. But here’s the uncomfortable question no one likes to ask:
Would a festival booker actually remember you 10 minutes after scrolling your profile?
Here’s how to get booked for festivals. I recently ran a small but revealing survey with festival bookers from across the industry – representing different festival sizes (from under 5,000 attendees to over 100,000), different genres (multi-genre, indie, jazz, electronic, punk, hip-hop, and more), and different roles (head bookers, booking committee members, and curators).
Their answers were crystal clear: your brand is a booking tool, not an afterthought. Let me walk you through exactly what they look for – and what gets you skipped.
THE HARD TRUTH FIRST
None of the bookers I surveyed said music is irrelevant. But 100% of them said that an artist’s visual branding is either important or somewhat important in their decision. Let that sink in.
When asked which branding elements they pay most attention to, here’s what topped the list:
- Stage presence (live performance footage) – selected by 100% of bookers.
- Music videos – selected by nearly 70% of bookers..
- Social media visuals & EPK – also highly cited.
And when asked about the top mistakes artists make? Poor live performance footage was selected by 100% of bookers as a top mistake. Not weak music. Poor footage. That’s your wake-up call.
HOW TO GET BOOKED FOR FESTIVALS - THE BOOKER'S CHECKLIST
Based on what bookers told me – and what I’ve seen work for artists who actually get booked – here is your pre-festival branding checklist.
1// An updated, ON-BRAND EPK (PDF or web-based)
Your EPK is your professional handshake. Bookers don’t want a messy Google Drive folder. They want:
- A clean one-page PDF (or a simple web-based EPK).
- A strategic bio that tells them exactly what you sound like and what makes you special within seconds. No vague “amazing vibes” – just clear, evocative language.
- Embedded links to your best live videos.
- High-res press shots.
- Contact info (seriously – so many miss this).
One booker told me: “Send a friendly email, include links to music & socials, not too long, a good picture, EPK.”
Another added: “Include practical details (based in, travel party, setup on stage).”
Don’t make them hunt for where you’re based or how many people are in your band.
(EPK design for DJ and producer KNURFT)
2// Minimum 2 professional live videos
This was the loudest takeaway from the survey. 100% of bookers flagged poor live footage as a top mistake. And when asked what they pay most attention to? Stage presence / live performance footage came out on top. Across the board bookers agreed on this one.
You need at least two videos:
- One tight, high-energy song (60–90 sec) – good audio, good lighting, you commanding the stage.
- One longer clip (3–4 min) that shows crowd reaction, pacing, and the arc of a live set.
A booker put it bluntly: “Always have a good live-show-video ready that reflects you, your music and your aesthetic.”
No shaky iPhone audio from the back of a basement show. Invest in a proper live video. It will book you more festivals than any playlist pitch.
3// High-quality press shots that speak your tone of voice
Bookers notice when your photos look like they were taken at your cousin’s birthday party vs. a professional shoot. But more importantly: do your photos capture the same energy your music delivers? If you make dark, moody synth-pop but your photos are bright, sunny, and smiling – you’re confusing the booker.
Pro tip from a booker: “Good visuals are always a plus and makes a booker curious to look into an artist more precisely.”
Your visuals should be a truthful trailer for your live show.
4// Consistent visual language across touchpoints
our visual language goes beyond press photos. It’s everything fans (and bookers) see before they press play: EPK, album artwork, social media graphics, Spotify Canvas, fonts, color palette, stage design, and the overall mood of your Instagram grid. Here’s the question: Does all of it feel like it belongs to the same artist? Not identical – but same energy. Same attitude. Same world.
One booker shared: “Design and brand should not be too far away from what will happen on stage, or somehow reasonable.”
Quick audit:
- Does your album artwork represent the vibe and sound?
- Do you use the same color scheme and fonts for your core channels (Website, Newsletter, EPK,…)
- Would someone scrolling your feed guess your genre within 5 seconds?
- Does your Spotify Canvas match the mood of your latest single?
Consistency builds trust. Trust gets you booked.
(Press shot of Cristian Sandrin)
5// A tailored pitch and intentional social media presence
Bookers notice when you copy-paste the same email to every festival. Nearly 70% flagged “not tailoring your pitch to the festival’s vibe” as a top pitfall. Do your research. Mention a specific artist from last year’s lineup. Show them you understand their crowd.
And your social media? It doesn’t need to be daily. But it does need to be intentional and consistent.
“You don’t need to post 5 days a week – but once a week, regularly, is important. Good visuals make a booker curious to look at you more precisely.”
Post consistently. Keep your grid visually cohesive. And make sure your bio links to your EPK.
BONUS ADVICE FROM FESTIVAL BOOKERS
Their #1 advice – straight from the source:
- “Despite all great design, bookers need to understand what will actually happen on stage.”
- “Be consistent, ask 2–3 times via email, put thought into your social media presence.”
- “Find an agency whose roster and aesthetic actually fit you.”
- “Network. Be brief. Be targeted.”
Sneak Peek: On-brand merch that doesn't gather dust
Now, let’s talk about something bookers don’t ask for – but fans absolutely remember.
Over 80% of bookers said they don’t factor merch into booking decisions. That means merch won’t get you booked, but bad or boring merch won’t help you either. Strong merch builds fan loyalty, generates revenue, and makes you look like a serious act once you’re on site.
So while you can leave merch out of your pitch to bookers, don’t leave it out of your festival prep. My next newsletter is entirely dedicated to on-brand festival merch that also sells. If you haven’t yet, sign up to my mailing list HERE.
