More than words: Analyzing the media discourses surrounding dance music events

Over recent decades the number of festivals occurring annually has grown exponentially, with one area of events witnessing significant growth being dance music festivals-outdoor events that feature various genres of electronic dance music. This article contributes to the academic study of festivals by exploring the discourses surrounding the construction and consumption of dance music events within the niche media that support and inform the various scenes represented under the umbrella term "dance culture." A central tenant of this article is that the positive and sensationalist reporting of events by the media and the discourses they construct surrounding events is a driver of demand for large scale events. Through studying the lexicon of the dance music media this article reveals and dissects pertinent discourses surrounding the reporting of events, which emphasize cultural significance and the centrality of events to contemporary dance music culture through a variety of means.