Trends dominating the festival busines

Panelists:

Brian Benson (Live Nation / C3 Presents)

Jasmine “Jazz” Griffin (Wasserman Music)

Zé Ricardo (Rock in Rio / The Town)

Steve Thatcher (Activated Events)

Moderated by:

Del Williams, Danny Wimmer Presents

“You’re not really a promoter until you’ve had a weather cancellation,” said Brian Benson, who oversees major festivals for Live Nation and C3 Presents, including Bonnaroo, Railbird, and Boston Calling. From Tennessee’s torrential downpours to the desert heat of Arizona, weather was the opening theme of a discussion that spanned the global festival landscape—from boutique single-day events to megabrands like Rock in Rio.

Benson reflected on Bonnaroo’s 2025 weather-related cancellation, calling it “a compounding of months of rain, a brutal site build, and one hard decision for safety.” He emphasized that even for a world-renowned event, “sometimes the right decision is the hardest one.” Steve Thatcher, who produces 20–25 boutique festivals annually across the Southwest, said the real danger in his region isn’t storms but heat. “You always think ‘rain or shine’ means rain,” he said. “You don’t think about the shine—until it’s 116 degrees.” His team worked with public safety officials, distributed pallets of free water, and blasted hydration reminders all day. “You can’t remind fans once—you have to remind them all day long.”

Jasmine “Jazz” from Wasserman Music brought the agent’s vantage point, describing herself as “a part-time meteorologist.” Every week, her team monitors precipitation, wind, and air quality for upcoming events. “We want to be prepared before a promoter calls,” she said. “When weather or air quality threatens a festival, we can already anticipate what conversations need to happen.”

Zé Ricardo, the creative force behind Rock in Rio and The Town in Brazil, described how the “City of Rock” infrastructure helps mitigate risk entirely. “We built it like a real city,” he said. “Power, plumbing, and foundations all run underground. That’s why we can build massive stages and never stop for lightning or wind.” The audience’s trust, he said, is what sustains them. “We sell 100,000 Rock in Rio cards before we even announce a lineup. Fans buy because they trust the experience.”

Festivals as Development Platforms

Beyond weather, the panel explored festivals’ evolving role in artist careers. “Festivals are still artist development machines,” Benson said. “Fans discover new acts on our lineups. If Bonnaroo books you, even low on the poster, that’s credibility.” He urged agents to be strategic: “Most artists only get one real shot at a festival in their cycle—make sure the timing is right.”

Jazz agreed. “I try to get my hip-hop and R&B artists to see festivals as platforms, not just paychecks,” she said. “They can build audiences who come back for them later.”

Zé told a personal story about attending the very first Rock in Rio in 1985 as a teenager, saving four months of pay from a menial job to buy a ticket. “That night changed my life,” he said. “Now I know there are other kids saving money for months to see what we create. I owe them something great.” His booking philosophy mixes generations, genres, and geography—pairing trap stars with 82-year-old icons, Brazilian legends with Leon Bridges and Seu Jorge. “If you avoid what’s hard, you’ll never make something powerful.”

He’s also pragmatic about scale. With Brazil’s currency exchange rate—“one U.S. dollar is six reais”—Zé said many artists overprice themselves for that market. “Sometimes I have to tell an artist, ‘Don’t come as a headliner your first time. Let’s build your career here.’ It’s not disrespect—it’s protection. If you cancel for poor sales, that hurts everyone.”

Inflation, Talent Costs & Collaboration

The conversation inevitably turned to skyrocketing artist guarantees. “Out of 200–250 line items on a festival budget, five lines of talent fees can eat 60% of the entire P&L,” Thatcher said. “In 2019, a $1M act was huge. Now that same act is $3–5M. It’s unsustainable.” Benson agreed: “It used to be festivals paid double what a normal tour date did. Now it’s the opposite—arena tours are outpacing festivals.”

Both agreed that buyers share blame by outbidding each other. “When one festival pays $1.25M for a $1M act, that becomes the new price,” Thatcher said. “We need camaraderie, not competition. We’re driving up costs for everyone.” Benson added, “You have to be willing to walk away. At Bonnaroo, if an act won’t take the slot at our rate, there are ten others who will.”

From the agency side, Jazz described the gap as “a disconnect, not a conspiracy.” She asked for more transparency from promoters when budgets can’t stretch—and promised the same in return. “If I’m asking for a number, I’ll tell you why,” she said. “We can only fix this if we treat each other as partners, not opponents.”

Experience, Scale & the New Festival Landscape

Thatcher has found success in smaller, locally rooted events. “You don’t have to be a juggernaut,” he said. “Fifteen-thousand people on the sand in Huntington Beach can be just as rewarding.” His average GA tickets run $59–$125. “People love being able to go home and sleep in their own bed. You can be profitable, you just have to do 25 of them instead of two.”

Benson sees growth in curated, mid-sized events that cater to specific fan bases. “There’s always room for the massive, multi-genre fests,” he said, “but fans love niche weekends built just for them.” Both agreed that festivals must focus as much on experience as on lineups. “Talent is the draw,” Thatcher said, “but experience is what brings them back.”

The panel also addressed artist engagement in marketing. Many headliners, they said, refuse to post about festivals or participate in promotions. “When it’s their own tour, they’ll post everything,” Thatcher noted. “With festivals, they act like it’s just a paycheck.” Jazz said the best fix is still the simplest: “Over-communicate. When promoters and agents present a united front about how essential artist participation is, everyone benefits.”

Closing Thoughts

In his final remarks, Zé thanked the audience for their kindness as he spoke in English. “We are all here because we love festivals,” he said. “In 1985, I was in the crowd. Now I book the show. If we keep love, kindness, and good sense at the center, this business will stay good for everyone—artists, promoters, and fans.”

Key Takeaways

• Safety first, always. Whether it’s storms in Tennessee or heat in Arizona, clear protocols and constant communication protect fans and artists.

• Festivals still build careers. Strategic booking, smart timing, and authentic curation can launch new artists or reintroduce legacy ones.

• Inflation is everyone’s problem. Rising fees demand collaboration between agents and promoters, not competition.

• Experience drives loyalty. Fans return for great environments, fair pricing, and thoughtful details as much as the music itself.

• Be honest, be human. Transparency, empathy, and teamwork across the live ecosystem will sustain the festival business through its next evolution.