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‘Our Team Is Overjoyed’: FKP Scorpio’s Festival Summer 2023
Highfield Festival, Aug. 18-20, concluded what has been a successful festival summer for FKP Scorpio.
The festival at Störmthaler Lake near Leipzig, Germany, a co-promotion of FKP Scorpio and Semmel Concerts, welcomed 35,000 daily guests, who saw a lineup of 40 artists, led by Die Ärzte, K.I.Z, Marteria, SDP, RIN, and Beatsteaks.
See: Flawless Summer Weather Marks FKP Scorpio’s Festival Summer
Stephan Thanscheidt, CEO of FKP Konzertproduktionen, and head of festival booking commented in a post-even press release, “Our entire team is overjoyed. The program was a top-class cross-section of the music landscape, and the weather was ideal for cooling off in the lake during the first half of the day before the experiencing many intense concerts that will be remembered for a long time. We would like to explicitly thank our guests for making Highfield a harmonious music festival where around 35,000 guests could peacefully celebrate together.”
“I can only agree with Stephan Thanscheidt here,” added Dieter Semmelmann, CEO Semmel Concerts, who also highlighted “the always very good cooperation with the team of FKP Scorpio,” and the regional partners, and authorities.
The presale Highfield Festival 2024, scheduled Aug. 16-18, has already started.
A week earlier, M’era Luna Festival in Hildesheim, “one of the biggest gothic festivals in the world,” by FKP Scorpio’s own admission, provided 25,000 guests with a lineup led by Within Temptation, and VV.
M’era Luna’s program, aside from the music, “is intended to make all facets of the black scene tangible.”
Next year’s edition will go down Aug. 10-11, ASP, Front 242, Saltatio Mortis, Lord of the Lost, Schandmaul, Die Krupps, Suicide Commando, Oomph!, and more have already confirmed their participation, as have many fans. According to the promoter, “more than 60% of the tickets for M’era Luna 2024 are sold” already.
Deichbrand Festival, June 20-23, had sold out almost 60,000 daily tickets in advance, and already stood at 15,000-plus presales at the time of writing. Festival MD Marc Engelke commented, “In a year in which many festivals and events have problems with advance ticket sales, to be completely sold out even before the festival begins is a terrific confirmation for us of the months of work and passion that everyone involved puts into the festival.”
He added, that he was “extremely optimistic for the upcoming edition,” which will take place July 18-21.
FKP Scorpio’s two biggest festivals, Hurricane and Southside, are also off to a great start, selling 50,000 tickets on the day the presale for 2024, launched. It marks a record in the 20-plus-year history of the twin festivals in Scheeßel and Neuhausen ob Eck, Germany, which together have a total capacity of 143,000 guests per day.
‘Relieved And More Than Satisfied’: Q’s With FKP Scorpio CEO Folkert Koopmans
“The enormous popularity is the nicest confirmation for us,” said Folkert Koopmans, CEO FKP Scorpio Concert Productions.
And, addressing the ticket price increases, he emphasized, “We are still feeling the after-effects of the two pandemic years in many areas, especially in terms of price increases in all areas. And part of these costs, unfortunately, we have to pass on to the guests, even if we try to reduce this burden to a minimum. The fact that we have now organized successful festivals all around in the second year after the pandemic and that people have had a good time and trust us to offer them very special festival experiences again in 2024 makes us very happy.”
Thanscheidt added, “My team and I are working flat out on the line-ups for 2024 and are sure we will be able to sign up great acts again and also reveal the first ones soon. The positive feedback from our guests and the sensational advance sales inspire us. We are very grateful for this appreciation and are already looking forward to the festival summer 2024!”