Online musical events during the covid-19 crisis in Spain. Analysis of festivals in social networks and their communication strategies

The crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent confinement that it brought about in Spain led to the paralysis of social life and of the vast majority of economic sectors, including the cultural sector. The consequences for the live music sector in general, and for the festival sector in particular, are particularly serious, and the sector is having to reinvent itself and adjust to the new rules governing this pandemic situation. Amongst these, the initiatives which have emerged on the Internet stand out, where the agents of the music sector, especially the artists and promoters, have approached the public, some of which have formed the first ‘online festivals’, alternatives to the large musical events. In this research, we will deal with what these activities have consisted of and how the organisers of these shows have reacted to the crisis from a communication point of view. To do so, we have used a quantitative study to dissect the communication instruments used, as well as content analysis to examine the messages broadcast on online channels. The transmission of performances in streaming, using social networks and other digital platforms as a support, was the real protagonist of these ephemeral and atypical festivals and seems to have become a trend that, in different ways, many of the festival promoters are betting on.