MARS Festival, a professional event for the music and event industry, took place from February 16-18, 2023 at Rytmikorjaamo in Seinäjoki, after a short break caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival consisted of two days of seminars and a live program in the evenings. The aim of the event is to strengthen the Finnish music and event sector, creating a more sustainable, responsible, prosperous, diverse, renewable and cohesive future.
The festival program includes panel discussions, key interviews and presentations of current research findings. The focus was on forecasting and crisis preparedness. Speakers covered a wide range of topics, including old favorites as well as new hot topics that are on the minds of the industry.
Seinäjoki also hosted the city’s LiveFIN festival, which is part of MARS, with a wide range of topical artists and interesting concerts.
The festival aims to intensify year-round dialogue between participants, disseminate new knowledge, and provide a safe and warm environment for meeting, mutual support, and celebration. The festival not only offers serious and reflective content, but also entertains, surprises and inspires visitors.
One of the main topics discussed during the festival was how to develop foresight in a situation where the data of previous years can no longer serve the industry as well as before. In the face of changing trends and uncertainty caused by the pandemic, the industry must learn to adapt and anticipate new opportunities. The festival also explored whether the industry is better prepared for future crises and other shocks than before.
The festival brought together music and event industry professionals from Finland and other parts of the world. It has become a platform for networking, training and experience exchange between participants. MARS Festival is an exciting event that will contribute to the growth and development of the Finnish music and event industry.
