Now in its 11th edition, Kappa FuturFest in Turin has become one of the most important international electronic music events. Here is the interview with Movement Entertainment Marketing Manager Stefano Della Villa.
Kappa Future Festival, 2024
The Kappa FuturFestival, now in its 11th edition, has become one of the most important international electronic music festivals in the world. After celebrating last year 90 thousand attendees, coming from 118 nationsthe 2024 edition is preparing to reach even greater numbers, as underlined by Stefano Dalla Villa, Marketing Manager of Movement Entertainment, the company that takes care of the organization of the Festival. On the next 5th, 6th (already sold-out) and 7th of July, one of the most important events for international music will return to Parco Dora in Turin, also underlined by Dj Mag, one of the most accredited magazines of electronic music, which placed the Festival in 7th place, surpassing events such as Coachella and Sonarbut also Burning Man and Awakenings. Music, but also environmental sustainability, as demonstrated by the choice to adopt a different proposal on cigarette butts: “Kappa FuturFestival is also the first music festival to adopt the separate collection of cigarette butts, which will be treated and transformed into new raw material.“. All while maintaining its own identity, even in the choice of the line-up: “There are 3 criteria that guide us in choosing the programming: musicians that we believe are consistent with the identity of our Festival, the music that we like and the availability of the artists.“. Here is the interview with Stefano della Villa, Marketing Manager of Movement Entertainment.
From what basis did you start again after celebrating the tenth edition last year with over 90 thousand attendees?
We started again with the awareness of being a point of reference for the world of entertainment in Italy and around the world. To make a comparison, we now play in the Champions League of electronic music festivals: we can no longer make mistakes and we must excel in all services while maintaining a very high standard of quality in all areas.
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What does it mean to have made Parco Dora, one of the symbols of Turin’s post-industrial reconstruction, one of the most important places for techno in Europe?
Parco Dora is the Italian Central Park, the result of the most impressive post-industrial green redevelopment of the last decade. With a bit of madness, in 2012, we were the first to set foot there, investing private resources to improve its services and make it not only the symbol of the Festival, but also a destination for industrial tourism in the city of Turin, recognized throughout the world. In recent years, videos of artists playing among the columns of the park have gone viral and in the comments you can read the amazement of discovering such an extraordinary location.
How important is the origin of the audience in building the Festival line-up, which last year reached over 100 nations spread across the world?
In 2023 we reached 118 nations of origin of the audience. For this edition we are already at 147, including Italy. The variety of artists present at the Festival guarantees an inclusive, diverse and attractive experience for participants from all over the world. At the same time, however, we want to maintain our identity, a characteristic that has always rewarded us.
How much importance is also given to the extra-musical context of the festival, with the inclusion of artistic-visual shows in the programming?
Kappa FuturFestival was born in 2009 to celebrate the centenary of Futurism. Inevitably we are very linked to the world of art, digital and otherwise. Over the years we have collaborated with the best photographers in the world, I am thinking of Oliviero Toscani, Massimo Vitali, Settimio Benedusi, Jacopo di Cera and many others and, thanks to the collaboration with the BlackDove platform, with some of the most established VJs and visual artists in the digital sector . Since last year, the setting of the Kosmo Stage has been the installation by Marinella Senatore Dance First Think Later, the most important contemporary art artist that Italy can boast today.
In what spirit was the community aspect conceived in a Festival that is at the center of a metropolitan fabric?
The community surrounding Parco Dora is a fundamental player for us. Over the years we have established a frank and open discussion with residents whose suggestions have encouraged us to improve. We always try to make them aware of our goals and also to involve the city’s commercial fabric. In fact, we want KFF to be an added value for everyone, from commercial businesses to other cultural activities and administration.
In how many ways, beyond the musical one, does the digital world touch the Festival?
Digital affects many areas. Starting from the ticket office: a digital environment accessible via the official Festival App on which the participant can download the ticket, load credit into their wallet which then transfers them to the bracelet equipped with an RFID chip that they receive at the entrance. In fact, for all transactions that take place within KFF to purchase food, drinks, merchandise and all other available services, the cashless system is used. Communication is also digital: at Parco Dora we install 910 square meters of LED walls, on the stages but not only, on which we project useful information such as the map, the timetable and the visuals of the international artists we were talking about just now.
From an environmental point of view, what are the initiatives that can make this festival sustainable?
We have entered into several collaborations to make the festival more sustainable. First of all with the CORIPET consortium which helps us carry out selective waste collection and to which last year we gave 240 kg of PET bottles – equal to approximately 12 thousand bottles – separating them from the rest of the waste. These were then transformed into rPET in a local recycling plant. Kappa FuturFestival is also the first music festival to adopt the separate collection of cigarette butts, which will be treated and transformed into new raw material by the start-up RE-CIG. Added to these initiatives is the reduction of fabric waste thanks to the reuse of flags from previous years which, combined with industrial waste neoprene, were transformed into bags and cases by Cingomma, an artisanal upcycling laboratory. In this way we recovered 145 m2 of fabric and immediately after the Festival we will put the new collection with the 2024 flags into production. Instead, the old PVC banners were used to create lanyards for the staff employed at the Festival.
From an economic point of view, how does the festival also become an incentive for the city of Turin?
We estimate a territorial impact of 25 million euros. An important induced effect that we are proud of, because Turin is our city and we proudly bring it all over the world by putting it at the center of our media campaign.
What were the criteria for choosing the line-up this year and whose presence excited you and the public at the announcement?
There are 3 criteria that guide us in choosing the programming: musicians who we believe are consistent with the identity of our Festival, the music we like and the availability of the artists. The audience welcomed the entire line up with great enthusiasm, but what was most striking was the ability to present new B2Bs, live collaborations between 2 artists who have never played together.
What kind of responsibility do you feel in organizing a techno music festival in a city that is the home of Italian electronic music?
If Turin is the home of electronic music, it is also partly thanks to us that we have been bringing the best world artists to the city since 2006, thanks to Movement and Kappa FuturFestival.
