Festivals and venue promoters were full of hope after COVID-19: dreaming of a balanced ecosystem where managements and artists would be in harmony with promoters who are taking the financial risks and becoming more reasonable with their requests. They would all love the environment, too. The contrary is happening. Bloated travel parties now include numerous content creators who are part of the show; stage props and technical demands have turned into an arms race among main-stage artists. And of course — everyone is booked into 4+ star single rooms with separate shuttles to avoid waiting more than 20 minutes, and “please provide one green room per member of the travel party, as per rider — but ah, don’t forget: we’re a plastic-free production and as a reminder… please respect our sustainability rider, especially arranging car-sharing for fans for our stadium show!” The lack of coherence leads to both environmental and economic issues. Between the artists — with the best intentions, acknowledging their influential role for fans — and promoters — finally facing significantly higher costs — there seems to be quite a crack in the system. A structured dialogue seems overdue.