🌈 Dreams of Utopia – When Vision Collides with Egos.

Christian Burs
May 26
2 min read

Updated: May 27

Festival: Dream of Utopia

Role: Musical Director

Location: Fethyie - Turkey Website: https://www.dreamofutopia.com/

Years Active: 2

1. The Problem

At Dreams of Utopia, artists weren’t just playing—they were part of the community. But that also blurred lines. Ego, expectations, and entitlement came in dressed as good intentions.

Too many artists wanted headline slots.
Everyone felt they “deserved” a peak-time set.
No one saw the full picture—only their own worth.
Some compared themselves to past headliners like Ame, Bebeta, Jonas Salbach, Djuma Soundsystem, Daniel Jager, Marvin Jam, Cook Strumer, Los Cabra, etc.
The booking team became the emotional dumping ground.

2. The Internal Friction

Artists felt overlooked and started comparing themselves to others.
Bookers were cornered into justifying every decision.
The vibe of unity cracked under the surface pressure of entitlement.

It wasn’t malicious—just human. But it was killing focus.

3. My Intervention

I stopped tiptoeing.

I called artists directly and asked them bluntly:

“If I put you in that slot, who do I take out?”

It hit them.

They paused.

They realized they weren’t the only ones here.

I made it clear:

Programming is a puzzle, not a popularity contest.
Value isn’t always measured in time slots.
Prime time isn’t owed—it’s earned, balanced, and contextual.

4. The Solution

Set expectations clearly before arrival: not everyone plays peak.
Designed a transparent booking logic based on energy flow, not ego.
Used direct 1:1 conversations to defuse assumptions early.
Held space for artists to feel heard, but not catered to.

5. What It Cost to Do Nothing

Artists gossiping and spiraling.
Energy poisoned backstage before anyone even played.
Bookers resenting the job.
A lineup shaped by emotional pressure—not vision.

6. What Changed

Artists accepted their slots with more respect.
Prime time was seen as strategic, not symbolic.
Emotional load on bookers dropped overnight.
The lineup made sense—for the crowd, not just the egos.

Managing artists isn’t about babysitting—it’s about clarity, respect, and boundaries.

Need help setting those lines before things melt down?

📩 Let´s talk: mentor@thefrictiondept.com