What is the history of music festivals

Outdoor music festivals have become a fixture of summertime for many adults. Many different music genres now have their own festivals and some of the largest in the world, such as Glastonbury or Summerfest in Milwaukee, are attended by hundreds of thousdands. While music festivals appear to be a relatively recent development, at least since the rise of Rock and more liberal lifestyles since the 1960s, their history goes back much further. Music festivals have always been about bringing people together to share a common cultural experience through music. This is one common element that has not changed for centuries.

The Early Development of Music Festivals

The earliest recorded music festival is arguably the Pythian Games that took place in the 6th century BC. These games took place every four years and were similar to the well known ancient Olympic games. This event eventually became more focused on games and athletic competitions, but the games were initially dedicated to Apollo and focused on music, with Apollo being the patron because he was the Greek god of music. Apollo is often depicted with a lyre and the Pythian Games were a chance to hold competitions among competing musicians. Both instrumental and singing performances were held as competitions among different contestants.