Does the Quebec Summer Festival have the status of Coachella and the biggest music events in America? This is what two influential American agents believe, who took part in the FEQ for the first time last summer.
Josh Kurfirst, who works for the WME agency, and Jenna Adler, who holds an executive position at CAA, praised FEQ in a report in Pollstar, a leading entertainment industry magazine, entitled “The best festival you’ve ever had “. heard is in Quebec. »
Screenshot of the Pollstar website
“It is one of the most impressive festivals I have attended in North America. It’s on the level of Coachella, Lollapalooza, Outside Lands. It’s definitely worth considering for a spot in the top five festivals in North America,” said Kurfirst, who was at the Foo Fighters concert in Quebec.
“I loved everything,” Jenna Adler, who was on site at Green Day, added in the same article. It’s on par with any major festival I’ve ever attended. (…) I was very pleasantly surprised at how well organized and artist friendly it is. I came back completely convinced. »
An item worth its weight in gold
For the heads of the FEQ, such an article is worth its weight in gold, especially because of the importance of the people quoted. “Power player,” emphasizes FEQ program director Louis Bellavance.
If the festival does indeed join the select circle of major festivals that are on everyone’s lips, the FEQ would add an important card to its game when it comes time to convince stars to come to the Plains.
Mr. Bellavance particularly wants the stars to mention Quebec when they talk in interviews about the major festivals they perform at.
“We want high-quality artists to come not because of their salary, even if they don’t get a discount, but because of the history of Quebec, the city, the large crowds and the experience they will have here,” he explains, using the example of Taylor Swift.
“It is very obvious that his career plan does not currently include getting a decent salary in Quebec. If you want this situation to become a reality at some point, you’re going to have to create one hell of a narrative surrounding the festival. »
Attract the media
To become a must-see event that artists are willing to make room for in their calendars, the summer festival must be visible in major American media such as Coachella or Bonnaroo festivals in July.
The Pollstar article, says communications director Samantha McKinlay, will serve as an incentive to convince them to move to Quebec.
“Everyone in the industry reads Pollstar. It’s an extraordinary calling card and I hope it leads to visits from interesting media,” she says.
“An article of this kind in a magazine as prestigious and credible as Pollstar is an incredible calling card for our city,” says the CEO of Bleufeu and the FEQ, Nicolas Racine. “It’s the entire destination that benefits. This confirms to us that we are doing something good with our model. »
Who are these agents?
Josh Kurfirst
Josh Kurfirst Facebook account
- Partner, Agent and Global Head of Festivals at WME (William Morris Endeavor)
- Named one of the 40 most important young actors in the music industry by Billboard in 2016
- He is the son of legendary artist manager Gary Kurfirst, present at FEQ representing Foo Fighters and The War on Drugs
Jenna Adler
Photo archives/AFP
- Co-Director of CAA (Creative Artists Agency) Hip-Hop/R&B World Tour Group
- Honored by Billboard and Pollstar for her role in the music industry
- Present at FEQ to represent Green Day. She also works with Jennifer Lopez and Doja Cat, among others
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