The encyclopedia · Marketing & Brand · Marketing decision · 1996–2017
V Festival ended after 22 years when Virgin walked away
V ran 22 Virgin-sponsored summers across two British parks; on 30 October 2017 Branson announced 2017 had been the last, and the V name was retired.
V Festival · Virgin · 2017-10
What happened
V Festival ran from 1996 as Virgin-sponsored twin-site festivals at Hylands Park in Essex and Weston Park in Staffordshire, the same bill played across one weekend. For 22 years it was a fixture of the British festival calendar; its final edition in 2017 was headlined by Pink and Jay-Z.
On 30 October 2017 Richard Branson announced that 2017 had been Virgin's last V Festival, saying it was time for the brand to 'look at new ways we can disrupt the industry'. The promoter planned to rebrand the event and expand it to three days the following summer.
For the sites and the promoter the show could continue under another name; for V Festival itself, 22 editions ended with a sponsor's decision. The festival's identity had belonged to its title sponsor all along.
Why it happened
- The brand was rented: 22 years of identity belonged to a sponsor, and one marketing pivot ended it.
- Virgin's budget moved on: the sponsor chose to 'disrupt' somewhere new rather than buy another summer.
- There was no farewell structure: the final edition was announced as the last only after it had played.
The lesson
V Festival lasted 22 years on a sponsor's name; when Virgin decided 2017 was its last, the festival ended with a blog post — a title sponsor is rented, not owned.
Aftermath
Promoters kept staging events at both sites under other banners. The V in V Festival remains one of British music's most visible sponsorship exits.
Sources
- The Independent, 31 October 2017 — V Festival is over, Richard Branson announces (announced Tuesday 31 October 2017; 22 years 1996–2017; Hylands Park Chelmsford and Weston Park Staffordshire; Virgin: 'time for us to look at new ways we can disrupt the industry'; Branson: 'after 22 very enjoyable and successful years, 2017 was Virgin's last V Festival'; final edition headlined by Pink and Jay-Z)
- Pollstar, 30 October 2017 — Virgin Pulls Out Of V Festival London (Branson confirmed via blog post 30 October 2017 that 2017 was Virgin's last; 22 years of sponsorship 1996–2017; festival to rebrand with new name announced November 2017 and expand to three days; both Hylands Park and Weston Park legs to remain; Live Nation/Festival Republic continues as promoter)
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