1. Fyre – Het grootste feest dat nooit heeft plaatsgevonden (2019)
If you haven’t seen this one yet, then you know what to do tonight. Plop on the sofa, grab a nice drink and sit back and enjoy it. The documentary about Fyre Festival – which turned out to be a big scam – was released by Netflix in 2019. The original idea was to organise a festival to promote the app Fyre. By filming fat-paid influencers and models on a private yacht, the festival was to be publicised. And it succeeded. Within a few days, the festival was completely sold out (despite the bizarrely high ticket prices). A success story. Everything just needed to be arranged…
2. Avicii – True Stories (2017)
It may not be a documentary about a festival, but it is about an artist whose character and music have had a major impact on the festival industry. This docu tells the story of world-famous Swedish DJ Avicii. With songs like Levels, Wake Me Up and Without You, he became unprecedentedly popular around the world. Unfortunately, this success had a downside for Tim Berg (his real name). The candid documentary shows how he broke down from his overcrowded schedule and outside pressure; he did 813 shows in 8 years. Unfortunately, no one around him has realised how bad things really are for him. With dire consequences.
3. This Was Tomorrow (2015)
The world’s biggest electronic festival on screen: Tomorrowland. Headline acts like David Guetta, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike and Armin van Buuren are featured but also the ordinary visitors, the People of Tomorrow. This was Tomorrow offers viewers an in-depth insight into the thriving culture of Tomorrowland and the organisation behind it.
4. Berlin Calling (2008)
DJ Ickarus (played by Paul Kalkbrenner) is mega-popular with his fans and tours all over the world, until he ends up in the insane asylum after taking too many drugs. With this drama – the longest-running German film ever – and its accompanying soundtrack, music producer and techno DJ Paul Kalkbrenner gained instant international fame.
5. Woodstock (1970)
Woodstock is a 1970 American documentary film around the 1969 music festival of the same name, directed by Michael Wadleigh. The success of the legendary festival – which included names like Joe Cocker, Santana, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin – exceeded wildest expectations. Over three days, Woodstock was visited by more than four hundred thousand young people. It became the biggest event in hippie history. The film material was edited by Martin Scorsese, among others, and was awarded an Oscar© in the Best Documentary category.
6. 30 year Dutch Dance (2018)
In 30 Years of Dutch Dance, dozens of key players from three decades of dance tell their stories together, supported by lots of unique archive material. From extravagant roXY parties to DJ Tiësto spinning his first tracks in his attic room in the late 90s. You will be taken through all the success and problem stories of DJs, event organisers and clubs. 30 Years of Dutch Dance was voted one of the ten best narrative journalism productions of 2018 in the Netherlands.
7. I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (2016)
I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead is a very thick documentary about one of the most eminent DJs still astounding the world today: Steve Aoki. Aoki talks about what drove his career: his ambitious father, Rocky Aoki, the steadfast daredevil and founder of Benihana.
8. Spark: A Burning Man Story (2014)
Burning Man, arguably one of the most famous festivals in the world. Every year, 60,000 people gather in the Nevada desert, where the festival takes place. A surreal city rises in the middle of the Black Rock Desert for one week every year. The event originated in the summer of 1986, when three friends burned a doll on a San Francisco beach. This created an annual ritual that attracted more and more people. The beach became too small and the festivity had to move to the desert.
9. XOXO (2016)
Burning Man, misschien wel een van de beroemdste festivals ter wereld. Elk jaar komen 60.000 mensen samen in de woestijn van Nevada, waar het festival plaatsvindt. Elk jaar verrijst er een week lang een surrealistische stad midden in de Black Rock woestijn. Het evenement ontstond in de zomer van 1986, toen drie vrienden een pop verbrandden op een strand in San Francisco. Zo ontstond een jaarlijks ritueel dat steeds meer mensen aantrok. Het strand werd te klein en het feest moest verhuizen naar de woestijn.
10. Glastonbury (2006)
In 1970, Michael Eavis opened his 150-acre farm to 1,500 people who paid $1 each to see a handful of pop and folk stars perform over the summer solstice weekend. With that, the Glastonbury Festival was born. Now one of the biggest and most popular festivals in the world. A call by Michael Eavis resulted in more than 900 hours of footage from the festival, featuring the biggest artists, legendary acts and frenzied fans. The documentary Glastonbury expertly captures the evolution of the world’s longest-running music festival. Highly recommended!
