Why Won’t They Come? — The Grassroots Riddle
Electronic music has never been louder. From Ibiza mega-festivals to warehouse takeovers turned “immersive experiences,” the genre is doing just fine at the top.
The big players—backed by Venture Capital or Private Equity investors—are creating polished events with global reach. But zoom in, and a different picture emerges.
Grassroots events—the ones that birth new sounds, strange ideas, and future headliners—are struggling to pull even a modest crowd.
And that’s weird. Because it’s never been easier to create an event.
- Need a venue? Sorted.
- DJs? Too many, not enough slots.
- A brand? Canva, Insta, and a vibe.
But the hard bit? Getting people to leave their f*ing house.**
💔 The Real Challenges
You don’t need a survey to know what’s up. Just talk to anyone who’s tried to run an underground night in the last few years:
- Leaving home is a negotiation. The competition is Netflix, not another club night.
- Staying up feels unnatural. Audiences got used to early nights, 2-drink limits, and Uber surcharges.
- Money is tight. £3 entry and £4 pints? Still not enough to get people moving. A new London club tried just that, and still had to postpone due to low ticket sales.
A prominent music producer and industry architect, known for building influential labels and founding a pioneering online magazine mentioned a new idea/venue for a party. (It’s pretty cool!)
Given the unusual setting, he only needed 60 people to make it work. “Easy,” you’d think. But even he admitted it was a risk.
If he can’t guarantee 60 warm bodies in a vibey room, what chance does anyone else have?
Even my own open decks afternoon? Took a lot longer to setup and work than it would of in the past (approx 7 months) to become solid. The kit’s great. The venue is perfect. DJs are queuing. But punters? They vary like London weather.
💡 So… What Can We Do?
Here’s where it gets interesting. The system’s against us, yes. But underground scenes have always thrived on limitations. So maybe it’s time we got inventive again.
1. Rethink the Incentive
Don’t just sell a night. Sell a reason to care. Is your event a community? A safe space? A testing lab for new sounds? People show up for connection, not just a line-up.
2. Shift the Schedule
Why wait until midnight? Try 7pm–11pm. Or go full Sunday daytime session. Kill the afters culture. Make it a ‘pop in, vibe, go home happy’ situation.
3. Collaborate with Micro-Influencers
You don’t need global names. You need people with local gravity—creatives, dancers, DJs, even food vendors—who bring their own mini-audiences.
4. Subscription Models or Memberships
What if people paid £10/month for unlimited access to regular events? It lowers the friction of “do I want to go to this one?” and builds loyalty.
5. Add Another Dimension
Workshops, talks, listening parties, community dinners. Make it more than music. Broaden the funnel.
6. Venue as Identity
Use strange venues. Saunas, galleries, bookshops. People don’t come for the DJ. They come for the story.
⚡Stay underground
The underground can’t—and shouldn’t—compete with the big leagues. What it can do is stay weird, stay nimble, and adapt quicker.
There are people who want these experiences. But they need help getting there. Maybe the future of grassroots isn’t “build it and they will come”…
…it’s “build it with them—and they’ll stay.”
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