On 17 October, Classified will take the biggest step in its history. With Off The Grid, the organisation is heading outdoors for the first time, transforming Park Lingezegen in Elst into a festival site featuring 74 artists across three areas. According to co-founder Wessel, however, it needs to become much more than simply Classified in the open air. “Not an indoor event that has been moved outside, but a fully-fledged festival.”
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Wessel founded Classified together with Jurgen and mainly focuses on the brand’s visual identity, from branding, marketing and design to media at their events. He is also involved in strategic decisions for future editions. With Off The Grid, perhaps their biggest decision yet is now just around the corner.
“Off The Grid is by far the biggest thing we’ve done with Classified so far,” Wessel explains. In addition to 74 artists spread across three areas, the programme features upcoming talent, established names, premieres, B2Bs, B3Bs, classics and special live acts. “It really needs to feel like the next step for Classified.”
Taking Classified outdoors
According to Wessel, the raw, underground atmosphere of their indoor events does not need to be copied one-to-one. “For us, not every square metre needs to look black and underground for it to feel like Classified. That identity is much more about the music, programming, people and the atmosphere our community creates.”
That is why Off The Grid is also focusing on the overall experience beyond the stages. The festival will feature a karaoke bar, an attraction, a campfire and several places where visitors can hang out together. “We want people to talk afterwards not just about the sets, but about everything they experienced that day.”
At the same time, organising an outdoor event brings new challenges. While much of the infrastructure is already in place at an indoor venue, an entire festival site has to be built at Park Lingezegen. As Off The Grid is Classified’s first outdoor event, the organisation is working with an experienced partner to ensure that the move outdoors does not come at the expense of quality or the visitor experience.
According to Wessel, that also comes with more creative freedom. “We can decide for ourselves how the site is laid out, where people can chill and which sidequests we add. That makes it more challenging, but also much more interesting.”
With the festival taking place in the middle of October, the weather is another factor. That is why all three areas will be fully covered. “That means we can go full throttle regardless of the October weather. Outside, you also get that dark autumn festival atmosphere.”
“How did they manage to do this for this price?”
Keeping the ticket price accessible has also been an important principle for Off The Grid. “We’re part of this scene ourselves and we’ve seen how quickly festival prices have risen. We want to put on the biggest events possible for the most accessible price possible.”
Classified stresses that this is not intended as criticism of festivals that charge higher prices. Instead, the organisation mainly focuses on where its own budget creates the most value for visitors. “We work with a relatively small team and do an incredible amount ourselves and in-house,” Wessel explains. “With every major expense, we ask ourselves: will the visitor actually notice this?”
Classified also sees its first outdoor event primarily as an investment in the brand. “We don’t necessarily need to maximise the financial return on this one. It’s at least as important to show what Classified is capable of by now. If people leave thinking, ‘How did they manage to put this together for this price?’, then we’ve achieved what we wanted.”
Giving new talent a chance
New talent will also have its own place at Off The Grid. The recently announced talent stage will hold around one hundred visitors and has deliberately been kept small and intimate. “That makes it feel much more like an exclusive talent experience rather than just another stage.”
For Wessel and Jurgen, there is also a personal reason behind that decision. “We once got the opportunity from Phil [Gearbox Digital, ed.] to work full-time in this industry. Back then, we were also just young guys in whom someone saw potential. That changed so much for us. So now we want to pass on that same opportunity wherever we can.”
Those taking a closer look at the line-up will also spot another intriguing name among the 74 artists: ‘New Signing Announcement’. Classified is keeping the identity a secret for now, but Off The Grid will reveal which artist will become the label’s newest signing.
When asked which set visitors should make sure not to miss, Wessel picks Detailed & Damaxy [The Classified Journey]. The two won the DJ contest during Classified’s second edition and have since grown alongside the brand. “That’s what I love about Classified: some artists aren’t simply booked again every year, but genuinely grow together with the brand.” During their special set, Detailed and Damaxy will take visitors through their musical development and, indirectly, the journey Classified has made alongside them. “For people who have been following us since those early years, it could be a very special set.”
Off The Grid takes place on 17 October at Park Lingezegen in Elst. Classified’s first outdoor edition will feature 74 artists across three covered areas. There will also be several sidequests, while upcoming talent will get a dedicated stage of its own. Tickets vor Off The Grid are available via the official Classified website.
