Types of Concert

There are a wide variety of different types and styles of concert; from small, intimate gatherings to huge, multi-date arena tours. The nature of a concert will often vary by musical genre, with a small jazz combo usually performing in a completely different size and style of setting to say, a Top 40 boy band.

In order to create an exciting and memorable atmosphere and to increase the spectacle, artists with large expected audiences often put on very expensive and elaborate affairs. These concerts tend to include various special effect visuals and changeable stage lighting effects, and may include effects such as:

• pyrotechnics
• smoke or dry ice
• pre-recorded video
• large video screens
• inflatables
• artwork

Large concerts that involve a number of musical acts, especially those that last for multiple days, are known as festivals. Examples include:

• Bath Festival
• Big Day Out
• Bloodstock Open Air
• Cambridge Folk Festival
• Falls Festival
• Glastonbury Festival
• Isle of Wight Festival
• Newport Jazz Festival
• Oxegen
• Parachute Music Festival
• Reading and Leeds Festivals
• Roskilde Festival
• Salzburg Festival
• Summer Sonic Festival
• T in the Park
• Wacken Open Air
• Woodstock Music and Art Festival

On the opposite end of the scale, a house concert is a very small concert that is held in someone's home, or a nearby private space, such as a garden or barn. For practical reasons, house concerts are normally conducted 'by invitation', rather than as public concerts like a club or concert hall. The money collected at the door usually goes straight to the performers, with no profit motive on the presenter's part; tickets are not generally sold in advance.