Swedish festival designs "IVF Stage" to play sets for unfertilised embryos
Way Out West festival hopes to nurture a "new generation of ravers" by playing live sets during fertilisation
Sweden’s Way Out West festival is taking a bold step to literally nurture a new generation of ravers. In an astonishing move, live set recordings from this year's headlining artists will be played to sperm and eggs in a clinic.
One of the most extraordinary developments in recent times, this news comes from the Way Out West festival, which will take place from August 8-10 in Gothenburg and feature performances from acts like Fred again..., Chase & Status and Peggy Gou, among others.
Described as the "world’s smallest, fully functional IVF stage," the setup was designed in collaboration with the festival team and artist Love Hultén. During this year's festival, DJ sets performed on the main stage will be live-streamed to this mini stage at the Eliva IVF clinic in Stockholm. This unique initiative responds to studies suggesting that music can improve success rates in IVF treatments.
Kimmie Winroth, Way Out West’s project manager, commented on this innovative approach: “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.”
Karen Ehn, a fertility specialist at the Eliva IVF clinic, added, “The infertility rate in the world are increasing. That’s why we always need to find the next technology to improve the success rates.”
Watch the video below to find out more about the festival’s "IVF Stage", follow this link for more details on this year’s edition of Way Out West.
