V Festival, which was last held in 2017, is becoming a broadcast TV show hosted by Maya Jama. A partnership between Virgin Media, ITV and Manning Gottlieb OMD, the festival aims to help music fans enjoy the summer by staying connected through the pandemic.
On ITV2 between 21 August and 23 August, each one-hour episode will feature moments from past festivals and new performances filmed at Hylands Park in Chelmsford, which first hosted the festival in 1996. Headline performances for the event will be from artists Olly Murs, Anne Marie and Dizzee Rascal, among others.
Festival-food hacks, fashion tips and interactive content will help viewers recreate the full experience at home. Those who have attended V Festival can share their photos from past events on social media to be in with a chance of having their images appear in the show.
The integrated media campaign by Manning Gottlieb OMD will run across TV, video on demand, sponsorship idents, print, a partnership with Global’s Capital FM, digital and social.
Redwood BBDO, meanwhile, has created backstage-style content for Virgin Media customers.
Cilesta Van Doorn, executive director of brand and marketing at Virgin Media, said:, “Festivals are a catalyst for connecting to each other, and they’re often social events as much as they are musical.
“Although we can’t flock to the fields physically this year, we’re so excited to enable people to stay connected not only to incredible live music but to their friends and families online, too.”
Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson announced in 2017 that that year’s festival would be the last. The following year it was replaced by Rize Festival in Chelmsford, although this did not take place in 2019.
This article was originally published by Campaign.