Big changes to Boston Calling this year include a new rotating stage
It's a new year for the Boston Calling Music Festival and when fans walk through the gate, they will notice a major change - there is just one main stage.
In previous years, there were two—a main green stage and a red, secondary main stage to its left. The main stage will be three times the size of the original green main stage and will feature giant video screens on each side.
New rotating stage
Not only that, but the performance stage will also rotate. One band will play, while the next prepares for their upcoming set on the other far stage.
"That'll allow patrons really all the way around the site to see what's happening and all the bands will play on that stage," says Boston Calling organizer Mike Snow. "And kind of evolve so that you can switch to one stage and give a whole bunch of space back for people."
Last year's crowds for Chappell Roan and Hozier said they needed a bit more room. Some attendees said the crowd situation was "dangerous" during some performances and that many people could not leave the festival if they wanted to.
"After last year, really looking at the crowd overall and how they moved around the site, switching to the one stage in the middle gave everybody more space," Snow continues. "And us the opportunity to build something that has never been built here in North America."
New area for fans at Boston Calling
In addition to the new stage, there will be extra water refill stations closer to the green and blue stages. And a whole new performance area designed with fans in mind.
"We wanted the arena to have a little bit of a different vibe than the rest of the festival," says Boston Calling organizer Brian Appel. "You can truly go in and take a break and relax."
The arena will feature jazz sessions with Berklee College of Music students, something organizers say is integral to the mission of highlighting Massachusetts talent.
"We always try to look in our backyard for talent," Appel goes on to say. "The Orange Stage has been a pretty good conduit for bringing people to see some of the best local talent in New England at Boston Calling. And it just surprised me that we didn't have a deeper working relationship with Berklee, given that they're down the street and we're in the same general industry here of trying to bring music to the public. For us we just reached out and said if this is something you'd be interested in."
And with all the new changes, what remains the same is the commitment to a weekend of music and fun.
"Hopefully, this year's a relaxing weekend, and the extra amenities have just made the whole experience a little easier. You're on your feet all day, so that's tough. The turf gets hot, that's tough. So, we try to add these areas to just make it so that if you're giving us 24 hours over three days, that you're not feeling like you were in a boxing match by the end of it."
