August 6th 2025.
Are you ready for the upcoming Way Out West festival? With an incredible lineup including Charli XCX, Iggy Pop, Chappell Roan, and Pet Shop Boys, it's no surprise that tickets sold out quickly this year. But fear not, organizers have come up with an unusual exchange to give fans a chance to attend.
In a bold move, Way Out West organizers offered fans the opportunity to give up their organs in exchange for tickets. Yes, you read that right. They quite literally asked for donations of kidneys in order to get their hands on tickets to the festival happening this weekend in Gothenburg.
Explaining the idea behind this unique competition, the organizers wrote on their website, "This year, tickets to Way Out West sold out earlier than ever. With no tickets left, the FOMO kicks in hard. People start saying they'd give up just about anything to get one. One phrase you often hear when tickets are gone? 'I'd give a kidney for a ticket.'"
And this joke soon became a reality as fans eagerly entered a raffle for a three-day pass, aptly named "The Kidney Pass," for signing up to the Swedish National Donation Registry. According to Way Out West's Head of Marketing, Filip Hiltmann, over 2,000 people signed up within just a few days of the competition being open.
"The Swedish daily average is around 158," he added. "It's very popular! The feedback has been amazing from just about everyone. A lot of people have been saying that they've always wanted to become an organ donor but never got around to it for certain reasons. This campaign gave them the urgency to join!"
By signing up for the National Organ Donation Registry, operated by Socialstyrelsen, fans are simply agreeing to the idea of their organs being used for donation in the event of their death. And as the website points out, it's a simple way to make a big impact.
Filip further explained, "During our festival weekend, Way Out West becomes one of Sweden's 20 largest cities when counting attendees. This is a unique opportunity to try things that are not possible in a real city. The campaign is proof that a small nudge can lead to big results, and hopefully it can inspire others to do similar initiatives."
Before the festival kicks off, 40 lucky winners will be selected at random from the pool of donors. And while they won't have to hand over their kidney just yet, they will receive a special "Kidney Pass" wristband that entitles them to three days at Way Out West.
This is the first time an organ donation initiative has been used in this way, but it's not the first time a music festival has encouraged fans to give back. In 2019, Germany's Wacken Open Air festival promoted their "Pay with Your Blood" campaign, where fans could donate blood at participating locations in exchange for the chance to win tickets to a future tour.
With the festival just around the corner, we can't wait to see what Way Out West has in store for attendees. From huge headliners like Queens of the Stone Age and Charli XCX to up-and-coming artists like Wet Leg and Lola Young, it's bound to be an unforgettable experience. And who knows, maybe more festivals will be inspired to use creative ways to give back to their fans in the future. Do you have any thoughts on this unique campaign? Let us know in the comments below. And if you have a celebrity story or pictures to share, we'd love to hear from you! Just visit our Submit Stuff page for more information.
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