The Noise We Make: Zac Fox on power, responsibility, and fair access
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“The independent festival world is precarious at the best of times, and I think it should be fought for in the way that grassroots venues have in recent years.
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Every sound tells a story.
The Noise We Make is a Hope Solutions series that listens to the people behind the noise: the artists, organisers, and changemakers using creativity as a force for good. Together, we explore what progress sounds like, and how the choices we make today will echo in the future.
Zac Fox has spent most of her career shaping live events from behind the scenes, and now, as CEO of Kilimanjaro Live, she’s stepping into the spotlight at a moment of real change for the industry.
With nearly three decades of experience across live music, Zac understands where power, pressure, and possibility really sit. Having spent 12 years as Head of Operations at Kilimanjaro Live, delivering tours and festivals at every scale, her leadership is rooted in how events actually get made: and how systems can be changed from the inside.
Alongside her executive role, Zac is the co-founder of NOWIE (Network of Women in Events), a clear signal of her commitment to building a more inclusive, representative industry. She also sits on the board of the Association of Independent Festivals, giving her a front-row view of how sustainability, access, and fairness are playing out across the sector.
Kilimanjaro Live is known for nurturing grassroots talent while delivering world-class touring, with a strong emphasis on fair fan access - values that feel increasingly central as live events rethink what success looks like.
So without further ado, let’s jump in with the questions…
The Noise You Make: What kind of impact are you (or your organisation) making through your work right now?
We take our audience’s decision to spend their money on our events very seriously and are driven to ensure that they feel the real value of that decision. We feel strongly that it’s not enough to just put a name on a stage. It should be an “event” in every sense of the word. We want to ensure that the audience members experience something that they remember for all the right reasons, and put live music high on the list of activities they would spend their money on again.
We are also continuing the work we started in 2018 of fighting against unfair practices in secondary ticketing, which hopefully will result in a law being passed under this Government to cap resale prices and protect consumers.
The Noise You Hear: What signals, movements, or shifts in the industry are catching your attention?
There is a homogenisation that is happening within the industry in recent years, with cookie cutter outdoor events flooding the market at a mid-capacity level. We think this acts against the long-term success of the industry and it disrupts the ability of independent festivals to access the headliners they need to compete. Audiences don’t always understand the difference between a gig in a field and a fully creative, curated and audience-centric festival or event. If they experience the former without having knowledge of the latter to compare against, there is a danger that potential long term ticket buyers decide it’s not for them.
The Noise That Needs to Change: What’s still too loud, too quiet, or missing altogether in the sustainability conversation?
Recovery from the COVID years and the subsequent significant increases in supplier costs meant that we have had to reverse some sustainability policies we had established, in order to keep the event viable. I imagine that must be the same with other event organisers but I’m not hearing anything about that. I’d love there to be more conversation about changes we can make that don’t have a big impact on the bottom line
The Quiet Work: What behind-the-scenes actions make the biggest difference?
Support from artists and artist teams. When sustainability policies or support come as part of the booking it really helps us to drive things through.
The Next Sound: What’s next for you? What sound would you love the future of live events to make?
I think that the real strength of the events industry in the UK is in its independent festivals. We do them better than anyone else and the variety of what is offered is enormous. There is probably a festival for everyone, if they only knew about it. I would love to see some of the media weight given to major festivals such as Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds be focused instead on spotlighting the massive variety of unique festivals that take place all over the country. This could lead to them having a more stable financial future which would give them the confidence to progress on sustainability aims. The independent festival world is precarious at the best of times, and I think it should be fought for in the way that grassroots venues have in recent years. The value to the cultural life of the UK is immeasurable.
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Find out more about Zac’s work at Kilimanjaro Live on their website or on social media:
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