Festivals are excellent venues for selling items or services and making money. They’re a unique shopping environment and each festival will attract a different type of shopper, so you need to put some thought into which products will sell best for each event.
This post will discuss product ideas as well as basic product themes to keep in mind to ensure the success of your booth.
What Can You Sell At Festivals?
What you can sell at festivals depends on what the organizer allows and what you’re legally allowed to sell. When selling products for profit, you’re considered a business in most jurisdictions, and businesses have laws to follow (check out LAWS FOR SELLING HANDMADE). Various sorts of items will also be subject to laws, such as food providers adhering to health and safety rules in order to acquire a food licence.
If you know you’re following all the regulations and laws and have the necessary permissions, the choices for things you can sell or services you can provide are limitless:
- Items festival-goers may need at the event:
- Sunscreen
- Bug repellant
- Umbrellas
- Rain jackets/ponchos
- Blankets
- Towels
- Lawn chairs
- Coolers
- Thermos/to-go mugs
- Offer services:
- Face painting
- Balloon animals
- Phone charging station
- Hair/makeup
- Photo booth
- Games
- Food and drink items
- Handheld items/finger meals are usually popular since they allow individuals to move while eating.
- Clothing
- Art
- Toys
- Home decor
- Jewelry
- Handbags
- Sunglasses
- Belts
- Hats
- Etc.
How To Make Money At Music Festivals
These are five strategies to apply to the items you sell at music festivals to make them more likely to sell and increase your profits.
1. On-theme Products
Festivals may be themed in a number of ways. Such as:
- Music
- Food
- Beer
- Films
- Religion
- Science
- Season (e.g. Winter Festival)
- Etc.
While not every product must adhere to the festival’s topic, assembling a variety of on-theme items can help drive more consumers to your booth.
For example, during a Beer Festival, various vendors may provide on-theme items like follows:
- Art – producing a collection of beer-themed paintings/drawings/photographs/illustrations.
- Beer-themed jewelry (for example, beer-shaped pendants) or jewelry that serves as a bottle opener.
- Bags – bags with beer pictures printed on them, made of beer-printed fabric, or with hilarious beer-themed statements (for example, “I make beer vanish, what’s your superpower?”), beer cozies, beer coolers, and so on.
- Bath & Body – beer-infused soaps, lotions, and the like, or beer-scented items.
- Beer caddies, beer flight paddles, beer glasses, bar accessories, and so on.
2. Necessity Items
Most people plan to attend a festival for an extended period of time and people are likely to forget necessities. You’re more likely to sell out if you provide festival-goers comfort products while they’re there.
For example:
- Art – an artist may transform some of their prints into fans that others may use to keep cool.
- Hats, scarves, shawls, gloves, sunglasses, umbrellas, headbands, elastics, and other accessories may assist individuals shield themselves from the sun, wind, rain, and cold.
- Bags – People may choose to bring a bag or a more comfortable bag to carry things bought at the event or their possessions. They may become bored of hauling about the rain jacket, umbrella, and hat they brought with them. A themed tote bag might be precisely what they need.
- Hand sanitizer, sunscreen, lotion, lip balm, deodorant, insect repellent, and other items may be required. The key is to sell smaller travel sizes so they’re easy for them to carry around the festival.
- Home decor – people may not be thinking about decorating their home while at the festival, but common household items may make their time at the festival more comfortable. A home décor company, for example, may offer picnic blankets or outdoor blankets, floor cushions, folding chairs, and so on.
- Children’s Goods – Consider products that will keep children comfortable and amused. Parents may want to spend the whole day walking around a festival, but a screaming or whining youngster may prohibit them from doing so. Stuffed animals, travel games that are easy to play at the festival, clothing for when they’re cold or hats to shelter them from the sun, etc. may be appropriate.
3. Easy To Carry Items
Items that are portable and simple to transport sell well during festivals. Not many people are going to buy a big item they have to lug around all day.
If you do sell larger items, such as original pieces of art, furniture, etc. be sure to offer a buy now & pick up later service. Furthermore, employ signs to convey that service to customers.
You could even provide a delivery service (for a fee). That way, people can buy an item but they don’t have to worry about how they’re going to get it home on the crowded subway.
Also keep in mind that people aren’t likely to want to carry around fragile or breakable items. If you sell ceramics, carry packing to wrap it for them or provide a pay now, pick up later option.
4. Lower Priced Items
It’s always vital to have a variety of pricing points, but when selling at a festival, the majority of your items should be on the lower end of that spectrum.
Many festivals require people to spend a significant amount of cash on the tickets alone. Then there’s the cost of transportation, parking, food and beverages for the day, and additional entertainment (e.g. rides, shows, games, etc. once inside the festival).
Most individuals will not be willing to spend a lot of money on products they come across at the event.
Cheaper price points that don’t need much thought are more likely to sell successfully. It also helps when the pricing points are the same as the bill. A $5, $10, $20, or $50 item, for example, is simpler to pay for than a $34.99 one.
5. Souvenirs
If it’s a large event with a lot of out-of-town visitors, local-themed goods may sell well so that people may take home a memento from not just the festival, but also the city they visited.
This might be map art or landmarks from your city printed on or used for:
- Art
- Jewelry pendants
- Clothing
- Home décor items
- Totes and bags
- The shape of cutting boards
- The shape of soap or information written on bath and body product labels
I hope this essay has inspired you to think about what to offer at festivals.
Lastly, analyze why your efforts aren’t yielding greater revenue.
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Related Questions
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What to sell in a booth at a fair?
If you want to draw in new customers, sell some items that are useful at the fair or festival where your booth is located. Summertime outdoor music events are renowned for selling sunglasses, ice cream, sun hats, and beach blankets.
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What is sold at concerts?
The Greatest Merch for Bands, Music Festivals, and Events
- Soft t-shirts & hoodies.
- Demo discs.
- Posters & tapestries.
- Mobile accessories.
- Unique bottle openers.
- Air fresheners.
- Stickers & pins.
- Baseball caps & beanie hats.
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What are the things vendors sell?
Vendors usually sell things that are often prepared at home by their families who purchase, clean, sort and make them ready to sell. Toys, clothing, street food, home items, and so forth.
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What attracts people to your booth?
Make your booth stand out with a fun, unique and interactive attraction. You may organize a game, a contest, or a friendly competition. Trivia games, photo booths and putting greens are all good ideas that excite and engage attendees. Even providing complimentary bottled water may entice people to visit your stand.
