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British club nights and festivals might be on the brink of extinction, but a Swedish music festival is officially broadcasting music to an audience that doesn’t exist... yet. Way Out West, a Gothenburg-based event taking place next month, has announced an ‘IVF’ stage, where they will be broadcasting the likes of Fred Again and Peggy Gou to an audience of unfertilised sperms and eggs at an off-site at Eliva IVF clinic in Stockholm. “To stay relevant, new fans are crucial,” Way Out West said in a statement. “[They’re] vital for keeping both artists and music festivals alive and kicking.”
These proto-fans can tune into the experience on the world’s tiniest stage, which looks a bit like a microwave. “[We wanted to] help create future fans of great music by ‘injecting’ live recordings by the headlining artists into their DNA at the earliest stage possible,” they continue. Inspired by studies that suggest music might improve IVF success rates, the stage hopes to nurture a “new generation of fans”. Way Out West Project Manager Kimmie Winroth said: “With this cheeky and wonderful idea, we will get future fans hooked on our festival with great live music, even before they’ve come into being. And if we’re lucky, even contribute to welcoming them into existence. While doing so, we shine a light on the importance of great music. New generations of fans are vital to keeping both artists and music festivals thriving. Without them, memorable concerts won’t see the light of day.”
In collaboration with designer Love Hultén, the stage is fully functional and will play live recordings from Way Out West’s headlining artists. “The infertility rate in the world are increasing,” shared Karen Ehn, a fertility specialist at the Eliva IVF clinic. “That’s why we always need to find the next technology to improve the success rates.” Sadly, the embryos won’t get a chance to experience the rest of the line-up, which includes the likes of Tems, serpentwithfeet and Yung Singh – presumably they need a wristband for that.
Find out more about the festival’s IVF stage in the video below, or head to Way Out West’s website here.