Throughout the world, many music festivals celebrate a wide variety of popular genres. In the UK, perhaps the most famous example is the Glastonbury Festival. This is a five-day event which gets international media coverage.
When the different acts are broadcast on television, one of the most remarkable things to notice is a large number of flags which are waved high in the air. This practice has become so widespread that even news sites such as the BBC have taken notice and written articles about the best flags to look out for at Glastonbury.
Criticism
Despite their prevalence at live music events, flags are not always well received by people. They can be very disruptive for audiences. If the banners are too big and plentiful, then they have been known to obscure views of
the stage for people watching it. This has the potential to ruin their experience of the festival.
This issue also extends to people watching from the comfort of their own homes. When there are too many flags being waved, then they can block portions of the stage and become an annoying distraction. Luckily the use of multiple cameras will often rectify this issue.
The types of flags being displayed can also cause controversy. For instance, in recent years, several music artists have condemned the presence of Confederate flags at country music events. Meanwhile, in Britain, there have been cases of crowds stealing and burning flags which they do not agree with. This was reported at the Sonisphere Festival in Knebworth. Despite these issues, the use of flags at these events is unlikely to stop in the near future.