We attended the Future of Festivals 2025

Last week, our team from kultour attended Future of Festivals, the premier trade fair and congress for the festival and live-events industry — held at STATION Berlin. There we showcased smartScreen, our digital outdoor guiding system, connecting with industry professionals, exploring innovations and contributing to discussions about where festivals are heading tomorrow.

Also on site was the Festivaltopia team, who explored the halls to catch the newest trends, technologies, and industry insights — all to bring fresh content and in-depth coverage to our blog. Their presence allowed us to not only present our solutions, but also to document what’s shaping the future of festivals from multiple perspectives.

Future of Festivals gathered hundreds of exhibitors, thousands of professionals, and industry experts from across Europe, offering a vibrant stage for inspiration, exchange, and innovation.

What Future of Festivals Was About

The fair covered a wide range of themes — many of which resonated strongly with what smartScreen stands for:

• Sustainability & resource-efficient production: With growing pressure on festivals to lower their environmental footprint, many sessions and exhibitors focused on sustainable stage construction, eco-friendly logistics, green sponsoring, and waste reduction.
• New technologies for events: From smart infrastructure to digital tools and apps, there was a strong emphasis on technological innovation — exactly the space where smartScreen fits.
• Inclusivity, accessibility & evolving festival culture: Topics such as barrier-free ticketing, child-friendly festival planning, inclusive design and safer partying practices were discussed — reflecting how festivals are rethinking their cultural and social roles.
• Support for independent festivals & smaller players: Through initiatives like the “Start-up Tour,” the fair spotlighted smaller, independent festivals and start-ups — aiming to give them access to affordable, scalable solutions and to encourage innovation across the board.
• Networking, collaboration, future talent: Besides exhibitors and established service providers, there was a dedicated “Festival Campus” for emerging talent — students, trainees and young professionals — intended to foster the next generation in the festival and events industry.

Also, the trade fair concluded with the FoF Awards, where the most innovative festival projects, apps, and services were honored — a perfect fit for companies like kultour showcasing new digital solutions.