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Goc O’Callaghan

@gococallaghan

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🎪 Co-founder & Director @arctangentfestival
🌎 Global Strategic Experience Consultant @ubqex_world
🤘🏻 Manager @weareeveryhell

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The Ikii Retreat was something else, one of the most inspiring weeks of my life all thanks to @geromev and the wider team at Ikii Studios. Photos taken at @lesardentes festival, Belgium 2026 taken in FESTIVAL LES ARDENTES by @gococallaghan

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3 months ago

Always a pleasure to be in the company of Steve Usher for the @theexperiencedesigners, this time at @worldxo_org London Experience Week @ministryofsound taken in Ministry of Sound by @gococallaghan

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6 months ago

@arctangentfestival ; from our humble beginnings back in August 2013 to our tenth edition in August 2024, it's been a ride! I may say this every year, but without doubt, ArcTanGent this year was our best one yet; from the line-up, to the smooth install, running and de-rig, to the warmth and friendliness of the community that ATG has become...it couldn't have been better. Even the sun shone on the Mendip Hills (with an obligatory dump of rain, because let's be honest, it wouldn't be ArcTanGent without it!)

In contrast, the road to this milestone has been anything but smooth with steep-learnings and a global pandemic to navigate along the way (just to keep us on our toes). Owning and running an independent festival is never easy, as unfortunately 2024 has shown us with 59 independent festivals postponing or cancelling for good in 2024 alone. There are professional battles and personal sacrifices that go into making an independent festival what it is and it is heartbreaking to see so many, well-loved festivals unable to continue due to rising costs and a lack of government support.

ArcTanGent has enabled me to fulfil a childhood dream, to create lifelong memories for millions of people. There is no greater feeling than looking across an audience of elated faces completely immersed in live music, or hearing people singing raucously from a distance at the not-so-silent Silent Disco or the unexpected handshake of thanks. Whilst this dream is mine, the festival is a labor of love, and it wouldn’t be possible without our incredible team. To our staff, crew and volunteers, you all make ArcTanGent what it is and we simply couldn't do it without you. To our audience, thank you for creating the wonderful ArcTanGent community that has earnt itself a reputation that precedes itself.

Celebrating this milestone is however short lived, we go again...2025...let's be having you!

Photo credit 📸 @snaprockandpop taken in ArcTanGent by @gococallaghan

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2 years ago

Happy **th Birthday to the legend that is @mikevennart - what an absolutely wonderful human and a talented one at that. Big love my friend 🥳 ❤️ x taken in ArcTanGent by @gococallaghan

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2 months ago

How it started… @gocstock many years pre @arctangentfestival with solar powered stages in a bluebell forest, psychedelic yurt tents, a honky-tonk gin palace, Kit Kaboodle cafe and DJs in trees towering over dance floors in ancient flint mines. The hat remains strong (if somewhat battered) and dress sense still questionable #gocstock #arctangentfestival #gococallaghan #homerthedog by @gococallaghan

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3 months ago

Oh yeah! Roll on October! 🤩

🎫 everyhell.com by @gococallaghan

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3 months ago

It’s going to take me a while to come back down to earth after @asiwyfa_music 20th anniversary show at the beautiful Ulster Hall with the Ulster Orchestra. What a monumental evening. A show like I have never seen before, in the most beautiful venue filled with some of the best people on earth that I’m lucky enough to call friends. @ewenfriers @roryfriers @niallabc @chriswee33 hats off and all the kudos to you for making this show happen, it was impeccable.

It was honestly one big party, so good to see @cheaimeedorval @itssamuelc @martyatc @aimee__lights @nmc.live @ciaramcmullanmedia @iangambier @mquinn211 and @carriedavenport and a whole army of cool folk not on insta. by @gococallaghan

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10 months ago

We’re witnessing a real shift. Not a trend, but a mindset change, from materialism to experientialism.

People are no longer measuring value by what they own, but by what they experience.

COVID reminded us how deeply we need connection, shared moments, and time that actually means something. At the same time, climate change has forced a collective reckoning: buying more stuff has a cost.

For those of us designing experiences, brands, events, or campaigns, this changes everything. The question is no longer “How do we sell more?”
It’s “How do we create moments that feel worthy of people’s time, energy, and trust?”

Experientialism asks us to design with intention:
→ time well spent
→ human-centered journeys
→ memories that last longer than the experience itself

This is where experience design becomes responsibility, not just creativity.
If you’re building experiences : how are you responding to this shift?

🎧 Full conversation with @gococallaghan on Sensorshippodcast.com, where we explore stories, ideas, and experiences that truly matter. by @gococallaghan

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10 months ago

💡 What we remember and what we live are not the same, and that changes everything about how we design experiences, tell stories, and understand ourselves.

In this week’s episode, Goc O’Callaghan takes us from roller coasters to neuroscience to festivals, showing how our bodies reveal truths our minds rewrite.

This one is for anyone obsessed with experiences, purpose, and the stories we carry.

🎧 Episode out today (sensorshippodcast.com). You don’t want to miss this dive into experience design, memory, meaning, and the power of crafting moments that last.

@gococallaghan by @gococallaghan

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10 months ago

Yesterday I had the privilege to meet with Stephanie Dubois to record a podcast for @sensorship_podcast in Paris. We discussed the importance of why experiences matter and the contributing factors to what differentiates them from the rest. From @gocstock to @arctangentfestival to @ubqex_world The podcast will be released before the end of the year and will be available on all streaming platforms. Thank you to Stephanie Dubois for the incredibly well considered questions asked and a thoroughly enjoyable recording session #sensorship #podcast #stephaniedubois #gococallaghan #entrepreneurship taken in Paris, France by @gococallaghan

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a year ago

Bringing people together is literally what our ecosystem runs on. It's shared space, shared discovery, and shared sounds.

New MVT patron @GocOCallaghan from @ArcTanGentFestival knows this better than most. From running one of the UK’s most genre-defying festivals, to building community through audiences who stay curious, Goc sees festivals as launchpads for bands in the UK as much as a summer destination event.

As Goc says, summer headliners are formed in grassroots music venues. Similarly festivals can introduce people to new bands who then buy a ticket for their next tour in a venue. It all snowballs.

That’s why venues, promoters and festivals need to stay connected. And it’s why we hosted our first cross-industry Grassroots Networking Day with @AIF_uk and @AIP.uk recently... to build stronger bridges across the scene. by @gococallaghan

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a year ago

Ljubljana Talks invited me to join them as a guest for a conversation around 'why experiences matter' and my motivation to create memories for millions of people. The recording was set within the incredible surroundings of Ljubljana Castle in Slovenia.

Thank you to Conventa Crossover, Koventa Magazine, and hosts Gorazd Cad and Jan Orsic for the invitation and for such an engaging exchange.

We explored the evolving landscape of experiences — how purpose, connection, and design continue to shape the way we meet, share, and create meaning together.

Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/HqJ1ZvgVKKg?si=z_st0JsWNaJSd2Bj

It’s always inspiring to be part of conversations that celebrate the transformational power of human experience.

#ExperienceEconomy #TransformationalExperiences #Conventa #LjubljanaTalks #CrossoverConventa #GocOCallaghan by @gococallaghan

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a year ago