Pro-DJ friend, DJ Joe Quinn is notably associated with the Forbidden Forest Festival, a unique event celebrated for its intimate, nature-infused vibe that appeals to lovers of raving and electronic music. As the festival’s director, Quinn has played a crucial role in shaping its vision, focusing on creating a distinctive experience that stands out from typical clubbing or field festivals. With the incredible stage designs & different thematic elements and music genres, the festival offers a diverse and immersive environment for attendees.
Hi Joe, well thanks for taking the time to speak to Pro-DJ. How did an event like Forbidden Forest come about and where the name came from?
It all started back in 2016 and being bored of the usual club scene and warehouse raves. Wanting to create an experience that was not illegal, but felt like you shouldn’t be dancing there, almost Forbidden. Hence the name Forbidden Forest.
Forbidden has been at Belvoir Castle now for a couple of years, going to the event myself it's an amazing space. Are there any plans for it to go anywhere else or is this the home for the foreseeable future?
We have been cooking something up for over a year that will be very exciting and we can’t wait to bring it to market. It’s a big move for us, but unfortunately I cannot divulge too much information at the minute. Expect big moves 2025 tho!
Year on year Forbidden has the biggest DJs in the world playing. How necessary do you think huge headliners are in modern festivals?
I think having a big lineup is secondary and the experience is much more important. You can see most big artists in Ibiza or various events around the UK, but in the age of social media it’s very important, and a key to success that you lead with the experiential factor in your shows. I think the USP of the Forest has been a big part of its success. Great music with the added bonus of being surrounded by nature and 300 acres of lush woodland.
With huge booking fees to these DJs, Do you ever find it a challenge to come up with alternative revenue streams to keep ticket costs down and maintain a profit?
As a business you have to exhaust every avenue possible, however everything is just so expensive currently. Inflation and the post Covid aftermath has just made it very difficult for promoters to operate a show that makes money. This was very obvious last summer with the amount of festivals that were cancelled. We are extremely fortunate we have such a strong community with Forbidden and sell out so quickly.
Can you share insights into the lineup selection process? How do you choose which artists to feature?
We do a lot via surveys with Forbidden and basically ask our audience who they want to see. Also a lot is dictated by who’s making the biggest noise on the scene, producing the biggest tracks, maybe some commercial success and with a big social media following.
I know you enjoy mixing and DJing, what genre do you like to mix usually and any memorable moments or highlights from your journey as a music event owner or DJ?
I play House music when Djing. Music preference is techno, I am very much in awe of how brands like Awakenings and Time Warp produce shows. I do love most music and have a diverse taste, one minute I will be listening to Smooth FM, next I will be listening to 140 Bpm Techno…
I think selling 66,000 tickets in less than 48 hours this year for Forbidden Forest is tough to beat.
3rd Phase Line up released and its a monster.
What's next for Joe Quinn, anything else on the horizon?
Being back in the studio making music is a big focus for me this year, I want to get back to releasing music and getting back on the decks and touring.
Finally for someone reading this who's starting their career or wanting to put on their own events, if you had one piece of advice to tell them what would it be?
Start small, be prepared to lose money initially. Surround yourself with like minded people and just keep going until you’ve reached your goal. You will suffer setbacks and you will at some point want to pack it all in, it’s at that last push you will probably make it. Also support new and emerging talent, they may just make it to the big time and it’s nice to call in a favour now and again!
Big thanks to Joe for taking the time to speak to us today. For all things Forbidden Head to the socials or Forbidden Forest .. You can also see Joe playing at various dates including Sosa at the Church with Groovebox – 25th august tickets on Skiddle.