€100,000 for the Main Stage – €0 for the Culture That Built It
The rave scene was built by dreamers, not investors. What started as an act of rebellion has turned into a billion-euro industry — where numbers often matter more than the music itself. Behind the lights and lasers, a growing imbalance threatens the very foundation of electronic culture.
The Price of Fame
Electronic music was born in basements, warehouses, and squats — raw, loud, and unfiltered. It belonged to everyone who felt the bass in their chest. But the balance has shifted. Today, while headliners pocket €100,000 for a single night, underground artists often play for travel money, exposure, or a few free drinks. The truth is uncomfortable. Festivals and clubs are under immense financial pressure. They need to sell tickets, secure sponsors, and feed algorithms. Big names guarantee reach — no matter if they bring something new or not. The result is a loop: same headliners, higher fees, less room for new talent.
Innovation on the Edge
Many of these top acts play tracks produced by smaller artists who never see payment or even credit. The creative backbone of the scene gets drained, while the structures supporting it barely survive. Clubs are bleeding. Small promoters take huge risks for minimal reward. And yet, the system keeps revolving around the same glossy names — big on the flyers, short on stage, gone the next morning. This isn’t about blaming headliners. Many have earned their success. It’s about balance — about a system that allows innovation to breathe again. Because when the scene only funds the top, the foundation collapses.
What happens when the underground disappears?
Less diversity. Less courage. Less future.
If we want electronic subculture to survive, change must come from everyone: promoters, bookers, agents, and the crowd itself.
Because if we keep celebrating only the same stars, we’ll end up dancing in silence.
Club culture was built on risk, not routine.
On passion, not profit.
And that’s exactly where the revolution needs to start.
Tesca Cappuccini, Digital Editor