How the end of X impacts brands and fans at music festivals

The suspension of X in Brazil has triggered concerns in several sectors, with the entertainment industry particularly affected by the promotion of music festivals and maintenance of fan communities.

For advertisers, X provided a unique environment for viral and interactive campaigns during music festivals.Strategies such as custom hashtags, contests and direct interactions with consumers will now need to be rethought. Major events such as Rock in Rio, Lollapalooza Brasil and Joao Rock used the platform to amplify their online presence and maintain engagement before, during and after festivals.

In addition, X was the birthplace of countless fan communities with global reach. The “Come to Brazil” phenomenon, which has become an international meme, originated in this network.Brazilian fans were recognized for their ability to revitalize interest in TV shows, movies, music and celebrities through viral campaigns.

This is because the old Twitter played a unique role in the cultural ecosystem of the country, with Brazilians strongly adept to the network. According to Statista, there were more than 20 million users in the country, the fifth largest global audience of the platform.

According to the Washington Post, even before the suspension of the network in Brazil, music industry professionals have already analyzed the potential impact on advertising and sales strategies. Brazil, being an expressive market for pop culture and musical events, suffers a significant blow with the loss of this platform that facilitated direct interaction between fans and artists. The tweet “Brazil, I’ devastated” by Lady Gaga, after the cancellation of her performance at Rock in Rio 2017, exemplifies the power of this connection.

In a conversation I had with Ronaldo Fonseca, CEO of A-Lab, he stressed the relevance of the platform for its ability to generate instant discussions and immediate feedback. This feature was fundamental for sponsoring brands and event organizers who sought to respond promptly to public reactions during festivals. The absence of this source of information creates a challenge in crisis management and in the use of marketing opportunities during events.

Hashtags on X also played an important role in creating narratives around festivals.Brands such as Heineken, Doritos and Coca-Cola, frequent sponsors of musical events in Brazil, used them to create integrated campaigns, connecting their activations at the event site with the online audience.

While X faces its ban, other platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky gain ground. The move may represent an opportunity for brands and organizers to explore new ways of engagement and festival coverage.To compensate for the loss of Elon Musk's network, some companies are investing more in user-generated content on Instagram and TikTok, while others develop their own apps to create communities around their events. Streaming platforms like Spotify and YouTube are also increasingly being used not only for music distribution, but as marketing and engagement channels for festivals.

The proximity of Rock in Rio offers an opportunity to find new ways to keep alive the fan culture that has always characterized Brazil in the global entertainment scene. Brands that can innovate in creating repercussion, audience engagement and measuring the success of marketing campaigns in music festivals will be well positioned to navigate this transition.