The past decade has been a transformative time for the festival industry, but by far the most significant trend has been the rise of city-based events. From multi-venue music showcases with a conference element, including Brighton’s The Great Escape, Liverpool Sound City and Focus Wales in Wrexham, to huge outdoor events in urban locations such as British Summer Time Hyde Park and Manchester’s Parklife, their popularity shows no signs of subsiding.

When T In The Park organisers gave their event ...