By Flora Szandi | July 3, 2024

With the festival season underway and mega artists like Coldplay and Taylor Swift touring this year, a versatile live blogging tool such as Live Blog Pro is a great way to share the excitement and energy of concerts and music festivals in real-time. It provides an immersive experience for readers who can’t be there in person and keeps them engaged with up-to-the-minute updates.

Coldplay used a “behind the scenes” live blog for their European summer tour last year, offering an authentic way to connect with their fans. Similarly, NME magazine uses live blogging to report from festivals. If you want to learn from them, check out their live blogs on Glastonbury Festival and Coachella.

Here are ten tips to help you master the art of live blogging concerts and music festivals in 2024.

1. Prepare Ahead and Conduct Research

Before the event, research the artists, their latest albums and any newsworthy updates. Check previous setlists on setlist.fm to anticipate what might be played. This background knowledge will enable you to provide context to your updates and engage readers with interesting insights. Test your internet connection before the event starts to find a spot with a good signal, ensuring you can post updates without interruptions. 

2. Use the Right Equipment

A reliable smartphone is essential for live blogging events such as concerts and music festivals. Make sure that your phone is fully charged for the event, and bring portable chargers, too. A smartphone with a high-resolution camera is essential for capturing moments to share with your audience. Specific new smartphones, such as the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, have top-of-the-line cameras for videos and photos, with excellent zooming capability. However, higher quality means larger file sizes, so keep this in mind if you have a slower internet connection and need to upload those photos. Finally, use a live blog application, which makes it easier to report from your smartphone.

3. Create a Content Plan

While spontaneity is a big part of live blogging, having a content plan prepared can be beneficial. Outline key moments you want to cover, such as the opening act, the first appearance of the headline artist, fan-favourite songs, featured guest performances and crowd reactions. Planning ahead will help you stay focused and ensure you don’t miss important parts of the event. It also helps when there is nothing interesting happening that you want to share at the festival or concert you are attending. You might even consider drafting a few posts ahead of time and scheduling them.

Draft posts in advance

4. Write About the Setlist

Providing information about the setlist is crucial. Share the songs as they are played, noting any surprises or differences from previous performances. Highlight crowd favourites and any special moments during specific songs. This gives your audience a clear sense of the concert’s flow and the artist’s performance.

5. Capture the Atmosphere

Your words should paint a graphic picture of the event for your readers. Describe the atmosphere, the crowd’s energy, the weather, the performers’ look and any unique elements about the venue. Include quotes from attendees, the artists and your own observations to bring the event to life.

6. Expect the Unexpected

Live blogging live performances can be unpredictable; be ready to adapt your plan as needed. Technical issues, schedule changes, bad weather and unexpected moments are all part of the experience. Stay calm and flexible, and don’t be afraid to change your approach if needed.

7. Use Multimedia Content

Make your live blogging experience vibrant and engaging by using a variety of multimedia content. Embed videos of the performance, share high-quality photos of the artists and the crowd to capture memorable moments. Multimedia content not only enriches your coverage but also allows your readers to experience the event visually and immerse themselves in the atmosphere as if they were there. By adding multimedia to your content, you can create a dynamic live blog that stands out and keeps your audience coming back for more. Live Blog Pro’s media feature helps you deliver a rich multimedia experience.

8. Keep Your Audience Engaged

Encourage your readers to comment and ask questions. Respond to their comments in real-time to make them feel like a part of the experience. Engage not only online but also at the event; conduct brief interviews with attendees and share their experiences on your blog. Ask your audience to guess surprise songs that artists might perform, tapping into the speculation surrounding those, such as the “secret songs” of Taylor Swift, which adds to the suspense and excitement of waiting. Create polls to ask fans about their favourite songs or what they think will be the encore song at the end of the show.

Create polls

9. Arrive Early and Leave Late

To capture the full experience, arrive early at the concert and stay after it has ended. Arriving early allows you to get a sense of the venue, the crowd and any pre-show activities. Staying late ensures you don’t miss any encore performances or post-show reactions, which are often some of the most memorable parts of the event.

10. Reflect on the Event

After the event, look back at your live blog and consider discussing it in retrospect, highlighting standout moments and personal takeaways. This analysis after the concert or festival can provide closure for your audience. Keep your live blog active for days after the event, and post any news or update if needed. Your audience might read your live blog after the event to recall key moments and leave comments about the performance.

A live blogging platform is an exceptional tool for covering live performances, concerts and music festivals. By preparing thoroughly, engaging with your readers and staying flexible, you can create a dynamic and immersive experience that represents the essence of the event.

Important Concert and Music Festival Dates to Live Blog

Mark your calendars for these exciting music festivals in 2024 and look for more at Music Festival Wizard:

• Rock Werchter: 4-7 July 2024 (Werchter, Belgium)
• Wireless Festival: 12-14 July 2024 (London, UK)
• Pitchfork: 19-21 July 2024 (Chicago, US)
• Tomorrowland: 19-28 July 2024 (Boom, Belgium)
• Broccoli City Festival: 27-28 July 2024 (Washington, US)
• Pol’and’Rock Festival: 1-3 August 2024 (Lądowisko Czaplinek-Broczyno, Poland)
• Sziget Festival: 7-12 August 2024 (Budapest, Hungary)
• Leeds Festival: 21-25 August 2024 (Leeds, UK)
• Creamfields: 22-25 August 2024 (Daresbury, UK)
• Nibirii: 23-25 August, 2024 (Düren, Germany)
• Rock in Rio: 13-22 September 2024 (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
• Austin City Limits Music Festival: 4-13 October (Austin, US)

We also compiled a list of well-known artists already on tour or soon to embark on their tours in 2024:

• Adele
• Alanis Morissette
• Billie Eilish
• Blink-182
• Coldplay
• Dua Lipa
• Foo Fighters
• Green Day
• Justin Timberlake
• Missy Elliott
• Olivia Rodrigo
• Post Malone
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Shakira
• Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour