Exploring the prosumer behaviours and smartphone practices of festivalgoers at post-pandemic UK music festivals

The emergence of smartphones in the late 2000s transformed the festivalscape, reshaping how attendees participate and engage at festivals. This article provides an empirical investigation into the post-pandemic landscape of the live music festival industry, with a specific emphasis on dance music prosumption at English festivals following their re-emergence in 2022. Drawing on a three-year qualitative study (2022–2024) involving participant observation and informal conversations at 17 music festivals across England (UK), it examines festivalgoer behaviours, their understanding and awareness of prosumer practices, and the ways in which these are enacted via the use of smartphones. In doing so, this study not only explores festivalgoers’ relationship with smartphones, but also contributes to broader understandings of consumer culture at festivals, offering new insights into prosumer behaviour and new media engagement within live music festival settings, and how these dynamics shape the overall festival experience.