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It’s no secret that Canadian festivals have been facing hard times.
The post-lockdown years have seen high-profile festivals filing for creditor protection, like Montreal’s comedy behemoth Just for Laughs; scrambling to reorganize or downsize programming, like Toronto Jazz Festival and Calgary’s JazzYYC, after TD withdrew sponsorship; or cancelling editions altogether, like Toronto food and culture festival Taste of the Danforth.
Of course, major festivals closed before the pandemic, too, for a range of reasons. And many festivals wind down naturally, through generational or leadership shifts. But Erin Benjamin of the Canadian Live Music Association agrees that festivals are facing a difficult landscape in the years after 2020.
“COVID ripped up the playbook,” she tells Billboard Canada.
“The cost of goods and services and labour and talent is extremely high,” Benjamin adds. “And it continues to go up.”
Audience habits have shifted, too. She notes that festival-goers are definitely buying tickets later, leaving event planners with cash flow troubles.
In its 2025 Hear and Now report, the Canadian Live Music Association states that in 2024, the problem stretched beyond Canada. “Cancelled tours and festivals due to lower ticket sales, rising costs, and environmental impacts has led to overall industry decline,” the authors write. “High prices for top acts are exhausting fan budgets leaving less for mid-range artists.”
International mega-music festivals aren’t immune. After slow ticket sales in 2024, more than half of Coachella’s 2025 general admission attendees bought tickets through payment plans.
When festivals shut down, people lose a connection to local history and a chance to meet their neighbours. Benjamin adds that arts workers lose livelihoods, while local communities lose economic impact.
If the live industry is facing hurdles, it’s also true that music tourism is still a popular vacation choice. “We’ve got to capitalize on that music tourism piece here in Canada,” Benjamin says. “We have incredible infrastructure already. We need to take care of our infrastructure, need to continue to create opportunities for artists.”
Benjamin adds that each level of government — municipal, provincial and federal — has a role to play in harnessing that potential.
Every festival faces its own particular set of circumstances that help secure or shut down the next edition. But it’s clear that conditions across the industry are putting pressure on festivals, from Newfoundland to British Columbia.
For a list of festivals that have closed or called for support, head here. – Rosie Long Decter
Craig “Big C” Mannix Joins CMRRA as Industry Relations Consultant – Community Engagement
The Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA) is making a key hire to reflect the diversity of Canadian music.
Craig “Big C” Mannix has joined the CMRRA as industry relations consultant – community engagement.
An influential figure in the Canadian music industry, Mannix has served as vp of Black music at Universal Music Canada; held roles at Sony Music Entertainment, EMI Music Canada and Virgin Records Canada; and had a founding role with ADVANCE, Canada’s Black Music Business Collective. He has also played a key role in developing the careers of major Canadian names like Kardinal Offishall, K-os and Pressa.
The CMRRA is one of the leading reproduction royalty distribution agencies in Canada. It distributed $96 million in royalties in 2024, a 23% increase from 2023. That growth was significantly driven by music on TikTok, where royalties increased by 126%. Mannix looks to continue working with creators moving forward.
The CMRRA also reported a 50% increase in international revenues, highlighting the importance of global potential in the current Canadian music landscape. Mannix’s role specifically focuses on community engagement and deepening relationships with underrepresented music communities.
“I’m thankful for the opportunity to work with CMRRA. My love for music and art is what brought me into this business over 35 years ago — and it’s what’s kept me in it,” says Mannix about his latest career chapter. “I’ve always focused on driving culture with integrity, passion, and decency. I’m looking forward to connecting with more creators and communities through this new role.”
CMRRA is turning 50 this year. In a special industry newsletter, president Paul Shaver celebrated the organization’s growth.
“We have over 7,000 clients worldwide and a well-earned reputation across the industry for being efficient, technology-forward, client-focused, and trustworthy,” Shaver wrote in the newsletter. “Many of these clients represent hundreds or thousands of songwriters, further amplifying our global reach and impact.”
As global reach improves, it’s also important to focus on the communities that exist within the country. Royalty distribution is an important sector of the country’s music industry, and CMRRA is making strides to open it up to the full diversity of Canadian musicians. – Stefano Rebuli
Toronto Music Experience to Open a Permanent Museum by 2029
Toronto’s music scene is getting its own museum.
The Toronto Music Experience (TME) has unveiled plans to launch a permanent cultural home by 2029, commemorating the city’s worldwide impact through music.
The TME announced plans for its expansion on Monday (May 5) at a private event at Live Nation’s The Lounge in Toronto featuring artists including Rush’s Alex Lifeson, Jully Black and Lorraine Segato.
The organization announced that it has been granted charitable status, which means it can go ahead with fundraising, partnerships and community engagement as part of its five-year plan towards its permanent home.
TME’s goal is to highlight Toronto’s musical past, present, and future through immersive exhibits, pop-up activations, live performances and education initiatives. It aims for a storytelling approach, highlighting the achievements that have shaped the city’s music scene, from its historical Indigenous roots to the global impact of superstars like Drake, The Weeknd and Rush.
The museum fulfills the city’s need for a hallmark representation of its impactful musical legacy that is currently missing.
“We don’t have a museum devoted to what is arguably Toronto’s biggest cultural phenomenon, its biggest international export,” TME board director and longtime music journalist Nicholas Jennings told Billboard Canada in November 2024. “This is an untapped area for the city, and there is a need for it, because we’re losing some of these stories.”
TME has been actively telling these stories through a number of exhibitions in partnership with Friar’s Music Museum, located in a Shopper’s Drug Mart at Yonge and Dundas, the former home of the Friar’s Tavern music venue. TME hosted its first-ever live show experience with the Sound of Rhythms & Resistance concert at TD Hall in November 2024, serving as an extension of its “Rhythms & Resistance” exhibit in 2021.
“The success of the two exhibits that we’ve held at Friar’s has shown us that there’s an appetite and a market for something more permanent,” Jennings said.
TME wants to incorporate a mix of production, retail and café spaces as well as pop-up exhibits, pairing music education alongside interactive experiences featuring memorabilia.
“Our mission is to build an experiential space where artifacts meet immersive experiences in tribute to the artists, communities, and cultures that make our city sing,” says Denise Donlon, a music industry and broadcast executive and member of TME’s advisory board. “It’s a powerful way to celebrate our past and inspire the next generation of creators.” – SR
The festival business has struggled to find its footing this summer, but one production company is finding success in the festival space with a new strategy: smaller, lighter footprint events.
Tomorrow, Activated Events will open its sixth Boots in the Park festival for 2025 in Santa Clarita, Calif., with Old Dominion headlining and support from Nate Smith, Josh Ross, Mackenzie Porter, Noah Rinker and more. The one-day festival combines food, beverage and live music, with a price tag of $59 for general admission (GA) when tickets first go on sale in January, with the price steadily climbing as the event gets closer (GA tickets are currently priced at $119, with VIP tickets going for $255.)
The Boots in the Park brand is the culmination of Activated Events president Steve Thacher‘s decade-plus in the music business, first with the launch of Wet Electric in 2010 — a Las Vegas-style dance and electronic show held at waterslide parks in the southwest. That evolved into the launch of Coastal Country Jam in Huntington Beach, Calif., and then Boots in the Park starting in 2017.
“Our festivals are more boutique than some of the other major country and mainstream festivals,” Thacher tells Billboard. Indeed, Boots in the Park events range in size from 10,000 to 20,000 and don’t include camping or overnight visitors.
In 2025, Activated will host Boots in the Park festivals in Bakersfield, Calif.; San Diego; Las Vegas; Fresno, Calif.; Albuquerque, N.M.; and Tucson, Ariz. Thacher notes that Activated works closely with city leaders to create “a more intimate and personalized experience than some of the larger festivals.”
“Our fans love that they can enjoy 10 hours of some of the best country music and still sleep in their own beds at the end of the evening,” Thacher tells Billboard, noting that Boots in the Park’s California festivals all take place one to two months after the massive Stagecoach country music festival in Indio, Calif., that’s regularly attended by more than 80,000 fans.
“We think there is a place for both boutique festivals as well as large festivals to exist in the same market,” Thacher says. “The benefits of being an independent festival producer has allowed my team and I to really know our events, brands, and customers extremely well. It also allows our creative side to come out. When we come up with a fun idea, whether it be a new art installation, a fun festival activity, discover a new venue or curating amazing lineups, we get to have fun letting our creativity run wild.”
Being independent, however, does come with its challenges, especially when it comes to booking talent and competing against the big corporate promoters with much larger budgets.
“Fortunately, all of the artists that have played our festivals appreciate the level of production, hospitality and full houses of fans,” says Thacher. “This has made the country artists want to come back and continually play Boots In The Park, Coastal Country Jam and The Smoke Show. “We have developed the trust and respect of the artists, management and agents in Nashville and they feel confident that the artist will be well looked after when they play our events.”
One of the keys to their festivals’ success, Thacher explains, is making sure fans feel like they’re getting a good value for the money they spend on tickets.
“Boots In The Park is more than just a music festival, it’s a full day of immersive experiences. Beyond the incredible live performances, fans can jump into line dancing lessons, sample a variety of 101 unique whiskeys at our curated tastings, and compete in cornhole tournaments for a chance to win exclusive meet-and-greet opportunities with the artists,” he says. “The event also features interactive art installations that add a creative and memorable touch, making it a well-rounded celebration of music, culture and community.”
Boots in the Park takes place this Saturday in Santa Clarita. For more, visit bootsinthepark.com.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. If you’re hitting up any summer music festivals, a great bag is an absolute necessity, and this Lululemon All Night Festival […]
Dillo Day, one of the nation’s largest student-run festivals, will return May 17 with a headlining performance from Natasha Bedingfield. This year’s festival will mark the 53rd annual event at Northwestern University’s lakefront campus in Evanston, Illinois.
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Bedingfield – known for hits like “Unwritten,” “Pocketful of Sunshine” and “These Words” – will close out the daylong celebration after sets from genre-defying Chicago artist Ravyn Lenae and rising hip-hop artist and Texas native BigXthaPlug.
This year’s festival also marks a meaningful return to Dillo Day’s origins: Armadillo World Headquarters, the legendary Austin, Texas, music venue-turned-mission-driven cultural brand, will serve as an official partner of Dillo Day 2025. The festival’s moniker, “Dillo Day,” was originally coined by Northwestern students from Texas who were inspired by the vibrant Austin music scene and the Armadillo — a beloved symbol of their home state. The Armadillo partnership will featre various activations, including a classic Armadillo photo booth and merchandise giveaways.
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Additional artists performing at Dillo Day include indie rock stars Slow Pulp and U.K.-based electronic success nimino. Past Dillo Day performers include Kendrick Lamar, Chance the Rapper, Steve Aoki, Black Eyed Peas, Wiz Khalifa and The Ramones. The breadth of talent showcases the festival’s reputation for attracting both breakout and classic talent.
“Dillo Day is truly unlike any other college concert or festival in the world. We bring two stages of world-class talent to our students for free, as well as an entire festival ground outfitted with brand activations, food trucks and activities,” said Mayfest Productions co-chair Alex Kahn in a release. “The Mayfest Productions team works tirelessly all year to bring Dillo Day to life.”
Now in its 53rd year, the festival draws over 10,000 attendees, the majority of whom are Northwestern students. Organized entirely by undergraduate students through Mayfest Productions, Dillo Day is fully student-run — from artist booking and corporate sponsorship to marketing, operations and production.
Tickets for guests of undergraduates are $30, and $35 for graduate students, alumni and Evanston residents.
The vibes were both mellow and musical at the 2025 BeachLife Festival, which took over the sand for three days in Redondo Beach, California, this past weekend, from Friday through Sunday.Lenny Kravitz headlined on Friday, bringing the first night to a close with massive hits including “Are You Gonna Go My Way?” and “Fly Away.” Saturday night’s lineup was led by Sublime, fronted by late singer Bradley Nowell’s son Jakob Nowell, who deftly took the reins of his dad’s SoCal band for “What I Got,” “Santeria” and more hits tailor-made for the oceanside fest. And the weekend came to a close with Sunday night headliner Alanis Morissette, whose set was jam-packed with her biggest hits, including Jagged Little Pill standouts like “You Oughta Know,” “Hand in My Pocket” and “Ironic.”
Other Friday highlights included Train starting their set with “Calling All Angels” and wrapping in epic fashion with the top five Billboard Hot 100 smash “Drops of Jupiter,” plus O.A.R. Aloe Blacc, The Struts and Digable Planets.
Saturday included Pretenders, with Chrissie Hynde wailing on “Back on the Chain Gang,” “Don’t Get Me Wrong” and more rock classics, as well as Cake closing their set with the one-two-three punch of “Never There,” “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” and “The Distance,” with frontman John McCrae’s between-song commentary keeping the crowd on their toes. Also on day 2: Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles, Skip Marley, Sugar Ray, Alo and the Sublime spin-off Long Beach Dub Allstars.
Finally, Sunday included a set from The Beach Boys, with longtime friend and collaborator John Stamos joining the Mike Love-led group just down the road from their Hawthorne, California, beginnings, as well as Jackson Browne, Mt. Joy, Marcus King and Big Head Todd and the Monsters.
To get a glimpse at the three-day festival, find some of the best photos from the weekend below.
Lenny Kravitz
Image Credit: Courtesy of BeachLife Festival
Lenny Kravitz performs on day 1 of BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach, California, on Friday, May 2, 2025.
The Beach Boys
Image Credit: Courtesy of BeachLife Festival
The Beach Boys with John Stamos on day 3 of BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach, California, on Sunday, May 4, 2025.
Aloe Blacc
Image Credit: Courtesy of BeachLife Festival
Aloe Blacc performs at day 1 of BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach, California, on Friday, May 2, 2025.
The Beach Boys
Image Credit: Courtesy of BeachLife Festival
The Beach Boys’ Mike Love on day 3 of BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach, California, on Sunday, May 4, 2025.
Jackson Browne
Image Credit: Courtesy of BeachLife Festival
Jackson Browne performs on day 3 of BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach, California, on Sunday, May 4, 2025.
Sublime
Image Credit: Courtesy of BeachLife Festival
Sublime’s Jakob Nowell performs on day 2 of BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach, California, on Saturday, May 3, 2025.
Susanna Hoffs
Image Credit: Courtesy of BeachLife Festival
Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles on day 2 of BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach, California, on Saturday, May 3, 2025.
Sugar Ray
Image Credit: Courtesy of BeachLife Festival
Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath performs on day 2 of BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach, California, on Saturday, May 3, 2025.
Skip Marley
Image Credit: Courtesy of BeachLife Festival
Skip Marley performs on day 2 of BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach, California, on Saturday, May 3, 2025.
Pretenders
Image Credit: Courtesy of BeachLife Festival
Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde performs on day 2 of BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach, California, on Saturday, May 3, 2025.
Cake
Image Credit: Courtesy of BeachLife Festival
Cake’s John McCrae performs on day 2 of BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach, California, on Saturday, May 3, 2025.
O.A.R.
Image Credit: Courtesy of BeachLife Festival
O.A.R.’s Marc Roberge performs on day 1 of BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach, California, on Friday, May 2, 2025.
Digable Planets
Image Credit: Courtesy of BeachLife Festival
Digable Planets’ Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler performs on day 1 of BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach, California, on Friday, May 2, 2025.
Pitchfork festival co-founder Mike Reed and his cultural nonprofit Constellation Performing Arts have launched Sound & Gravity, a Sept. 10-14 festival set in Chicago.
Sound & Gravity will be spread out across Chicago’s Bricktown and Avondale neighborhoods with seven venues hosting the festival — Constellation, Hungry Brain, Judson & Moore, Beat Kitchen, Guild Row, and Rockwell on the River. Reed, who is known for curating challenging and contemporary artists through the now defunct Pitchfork Music Festival, is reportedly shaping Sound & Gravity into an “ambitious” event and “unique adventure for music enthusiasts” featuring 48 artists across a spectrum of genres including jazz, experimental, contemporary classical and indie music.
Performers include American singer-songwriter Bill Callahan, who has also recorded and performed under the band name Smog; Nigerian guitarist Mdou Moctar; American experimental electric guitar duo Kim Gordon and Bill Nace, American musician Helado Negro and many, many more.
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Reed said he chose the Bricktown/Avondale area of Chicago, known for its fast-growing creator community and small businesses, due to it small intimate size, noting Sound & Gravity “capitalizes on the neighborhood’s walkability with all venues a 5-15 minute walk from each other,” according to a press release.
“Sound & Gravity offers attendees the opportunity to experience the local culture during five days of cutting-edge performances,” the release continues.
Sound & Gravity also serves as a fundraiser for Constellation Performing Arts, a 12-year-old not-for-profit organization that “has become a cornerstone of Chicago’s forward-thinking music scene,” according to the release. Constellation “has filled a crucial void in Chicago’s cultural landscape by providing a reliable, high-end platform for avant-garde and experimental music.”
Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, May 7 at 11am CT, and can be purchased here. Ticket options include an all-event four-day pass at $240, a single-day pass at $95, and a Wednesday opening night pass at $45. More info here.
Sound & Gravity
Eliza Weber
Lana Del Rey‘s debut on the Stagecoach lineup has come and gone, but the live intro to her upcoming new record set the stage for its visual components, like the personal style she seems to be leaning into for this album cycle.
Gracing the stage in pretty, tea-length dresses, with hair set in brushed-out waves and lips painted a color described by Lisa Eldrige’s cosmetics brand as an “iconic, late 1950s/early 1960s salmon-pink,” Del Rey’s physical presence at the country music festival served a mid-century, on the bayou aesthetic.
Positioned at a mic stand in front of a rural southern home set on the stage, she looked perfectly poised as she sang sweetly about being by her husband’s side, “where the baby alligators play” and “no one talks to me like you do, or takes care of us so good this way.” (The dark side peeked through, too: “Should I turn on the light or burn down the house?” she later contemplated in the premiere of “Quiet in the South,” a track of quiet rage over the worry her man might not make it home that night. “Feet up on the back porch, the wind’s blowing through/ I’m staring at the propane, like, what’s a girl to do?”)
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A handful of never-before-heard songs from her unreleased, untitled next record — formerly known as Lasso or The Right Person Will Stay, depending on when you asked Del Rey — made the Stagecoach set in Indio, Calif., Friday night (April 25): the aforementioned “Husband of Mine” and “Quiet in the South,” and “57.5,” which will be remembered as the one where Del Rey called out Morgan Wallen. She also sang the hauntingly beautiful “Henry, Come On” live for the first time, and her new ballad “Bluebird” was the star of a hologram interlude.
The first dress Del Rey wore, in demure, cream lace, was custom Valentino, stylist Molly Dickson noted in an Instagram Story.
When the “Summertime Sadness” singer returned to the stage post-interlude in red to sing an iconic line from the Born to Die track (“I got my red dress on tonight”), she was in custom Sugar Ferrini, according to Dickson. The strapless number complemented the earlier Valentino silhouette, with its fitted bodice, bow accent at the waist and full skirt.
Hair stylist Anna Cofone offered a how-to on achieving Del Rey’s coiffure in an Instagram post on Saturday. She listed Authentic Beauty Concept’s Glow Spray Serum for prepping mid-length and ends, and Tymo’s Airhype Lite hair dryer for smoothing before styling. She added Authentic Beauty Concept’s Airy Texture Spray and Nude Powder Spray to Del Rey’s roots as a “base for backcombing,” incorporated Remi Cachet Clip-In Deluxe hair extensions prepped with Curl Pro Stylist Mist, and set the singer’s hair using Tymo’s Cues curling iron with a 1/2-inch barrel. She brushed out Del Rey’s waves with an Olivia Garden Essential Style Double Tunnel Brush and finished the style with a mist of strong-hold hairspray.
Makeup artist Pamela Cochrane posted beauty notes as well, with a list of Lisa Eldridge products she used on Del Rey: Skin and Makeup Enhancing Mist, Seamless Skin Foundation in a mix of shades 5 and 10, Elevated Glow Highlighter in Crystal Nebula on her cheekbones, Kitten Lash Mascara “in the inner corners next to the lashes and underneath,” Kitten Flick Liquid Eyeliner “finely drawn along the outer half of eye with a small flick,” and Lip Pencil in shade 1W with Rouge Experience Refillable Lipstick in shade 189, Audrey.
See Lana Del Ray all dolled up in a clip of her singing “Henry, Come On” below, via Stagecoach’s official X account.
The more you watch of Lana Del Rey supposedly going country, the more apparent how ridiculous any talk of her pivoting to any genre really is.
For 15 years now, LDR has essentially been a genre unto herself: a unique and borderline-illogical blending of obviously classic influences with some game-changingly modern sensibilities, one that mostly befuddled critics and radio and the charts early on, even as she was inarguably becoming one of the most important pop stars of her generation. She’s been wildly influential without ever being less than unmistakable; no matter what sonic, thematic or characteristic elements other artists may borrow from her, none of them would ever risk being taken for Lana herself. This is all to say: no matter what style of music she’s making, Lana Del Rey has one genre and that’s “Lana Del Rey.”
But of course, Lana did lean into The Stagecoach of It All while making her debut performance at the Indio, Calif. country festival on Friday (Apr. 25). Singing in a white dress in front of a set of an idyllic-looking rural house at dusk, she looked like she walked on stage straight from an old Loretta Lynn album cover. Early on, she brought out George Birge — himself a Saturday performer at the festival — to duet on his current hit “Cowboy Songs,” an extremely country radio-friendly song Del Rey says she can’t get enough of. (You can certainly imagine a Lanafied version of the chorus, though it was strange to hear her singing on such a zippy and muscular hook in 2025.) And of course, she invoked two all-time genre classics during the show by covering Tammy Wynette’s “Stand by Your Man” (“You can’t do this set without it”), and then closing the proceedings with a family singalong to John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” a recent entry into the LDR cover canon.
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But the new songs? Country-ish in their tempo and in some of their thematic content (and occasional lyrics about “all these country singers”), perhaps, but not in any way that feels at a remove from what she’s done her whole career: Lana has long centered the emotional abandon and cinematic sway of country in her songs. You could hear that even in some of the crowd-elating classics Lana performed in the midst of her Grand Ole Opry moment — tweak a couple lyrics and add some banjo and “Ride” is basically a The Chicks single; turn down the sex and turn up the sarcasm and “Video Games” could’ve been penned by Kacey Musgraves. Nothing about the stately balladry and gender-role explorations of songs like set-opening duo “Husband of Mine” and “Henry, Come On” felt without precedent in her catalog; she could have introduced them as deep cuts from Blue Banisters or Chemtrails Over the Country Club and many of her fans probably would’ve bought it.
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If there was a pronounced difference with Del Rey in Country Mode on Friday night, it was that she seemed… maybe more polite and unassuming than we’re used to her being? Watching her express her very sincere-seeming gratitude at being invited to Stagecoach, and about the size and passion of her Friday night crowd, it was very easy to forget that she was once a highly divisive figure in popular music, one prone to controversy in both her lyrics and public statements. There was no trace of any of that in the smiling, hostly, happy-to-be-here performer who took the stage on Friday night.
Well, almost none. If you missed a little of the unpredictability and ostentatiousness that characterized early-years Lana Del Rey– and still informed highlights from her work up until this decade — then you probably loved “57.5,” a shuffling new song referring to her number (in millions) of monthly listeners on Spotify, which also includes a bridge which begins with LDR proclaiming “I kissed Morgan Wallen” and going onto advise listeners against going ATVing with him. It takes a lot of “yes, really” to explain, but it was still probably the best of the new songs that she debuted: some real country s–t, but more importantly, pure Lana through and through, in a way no other artist or genre could ever totally capture.
CENTRAL MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT FESTIVAL 2025, a music festival event held in the heart of Yokohama, took place April 4-6, 2025.
Led by the concept of “Bringing the sounds of Japan to the world,” this new music festival in Yokohama presented a wide range of entertainment, from artists that have drawn the attention of the world to anime, technology, and more. The whole city of Yokohama became an enormous festival space, with performances at venues such as K-Arena Yokohama, Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse’s Red Brick Park Special Venue, KT Zepp Yokohama, and Rinko Park. This article covers Echoes Baa, which was held at the Red Brick Park Special Venue of Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse on April 5 and 6.
The event was curated by Echoes, a new label established in September 2024. The main stage lineup featured Echoes artists like YOASOBI, MAISONdes, and Aooo, as well as major artists from other labels invited as special guests. Echoes also runs the MECRE collaboration platform, which brings together people who love music and creation, so in addition to live shows, Echoes Baa also had DJ sets, workshops, and other new forms of entertainment experiences covering a wide range of creative expression.
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Looking around the site before the first performance, the first thing that catches the visitor’s eye would be the massive art wall at the rear of the field. Created by up-and-coming artists such as COIN PARKING DELIVERY and SIMON, it became a photo spot for the event’s many visitors. YOASOBI and the mobile bookstore BOOK TRUCK also collaborated in “The Traveling Bookstore YOASOBI.” The store carried YOASOBI-related books, books selected by Ayase and ikura, and books related to other artists performing at Echoes Baa. On both days of the event, there were also workshops with the theme of “Fun DIY for everyone, regardless of skill level.” In the silkscreen workshop, people could print their own t-shirts and apparel with unique Echoes graphics. Those taking part in the tufting workshop were able to make their own Echoes-exclusive rugs. These workshops were so popular that they were fully booked before the live performances even began. There was also Echoes’ first-ever pop-up shop, “Echoes Maaket,” which sold limited-edition Echoes merchandise. In front of the shop were large capsule prize machines with a variety of metal badges adorned with Echoes logos. These were also popular, selling out early in the event.
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The first live performance began with an energetic rendition of “Idol” by YOASOBI. ikura declared, “Our show’s going to set the standard for the whole festival’s energy levels!” The band went on to play hit after hit, such as “Into The Night” and their newest song, “PLAYERS.” Between songs, they also talked to the crowd, getting everyone to join in in celebrating Ayase’s birthday, which had been the day before, on April 4. Between performances on the main stage, Gaku, Aiobahn, Aiobahn +81, DJ Kazu, and tomad kept the excitement up from the second stage.
KAFUNÉ kicked off their set with “Otonagokko.” During ”Nounaihanseikai,” they were joined in by the audience, and in their last song, “Melty Love,” they filled the air with beautiful falsetto vocals. During NOMELON NOLEMON’s set, tsumiki declared “We came to win today!” from up on stage and then brought the audience to a fever pitch with their catchy “Midnight Reflection,” a song featured in Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX.
asmi, dressed in a colorful costume, started her set with the pop tune “Dokimeki Diary.” She delivered lyric-packed songs like “Face This Way” and “PAKU” in her ennui-tinged yet resonant voice, accompanied by pop melodies. syudou began his first song, “In the Back Room,” with an a cappella intro in a performance that was so confident that you’d scarcely believe that it was his first ever outdoor performance. With a set list that just kept them coming, you could feel the power coming off the stage.
The headliner on the first day was MAISONdes. The show featured a constant tide of “residents” like asmi & THREEE, noa and Kayayu, Pii & meiyo, riria., suisoh, MIKIMARIA, Ren, Yuika & KAFUNÉ and AYUNi D, each creating their own chemical reactions. Rei, from the new project NICHIMEZO, also sang. There was even a surprise appearance by virtual singer KAF, who performed via a monitor and passionately performed “Tokyo Shandy Rendez-vous” alongslide tsumiki’s drums. Then asmi took to the stage again, finishing off the first day’s performances with “Yowanehaki.”
The second day started at a full gallop with FRUITS ZIPPER’s “NEW KAWAII.” In “Watashino Ichiban Kawaiitokoro,” the audience copied the group’s choreography, and the stage positively overflowed with cuteness. Next was Luov, a three-piece band that was just formed in February of this year. They entertained the crowd with their buoyant vocals and sound on songs like “Dai Dassou Keikaku” and “Toumei shabon,” perfect fits for the concert venue, surrounded by the sea and the clear blue sky.
There was a long line at the vending machine selling original Central drinks with designs featuring the show’s performers. While the stage was being prepared for the next act, Gaku, Aruku Hito, DJ To-i (from DISH//), dshino (Toshitaka Shinoda from Ijigen TOKYO) and yuigot put on their own performances, keeping the vibe going.
The main stage thronged with people awaiting Chevon’s set, which they launched into with “Knock Boots.” The audience pumped their hands in the air to Mayuu Yaginu’s vocals, which dripped with charisma and seemed to pierce the sky. Then Mayuu shouted “The second chapter of Chevon starts here and now, at Echoes Baa, with the arrival of the ‘KAIJU! (Japanese title: Daikoushin)‘” and the band charged into the next song, never letting up on their momentum. TOMOO began her set with a rhythmical vocal performance of “Ginger.” Her clear singing voice harmonized beautifully with the ocean-side vista, gently enveloping the audience with songs like “Itterasshai” and “Contrast.” The last song of her set, “Super Ball,” was like a warm spring breeze. The band Aooo, made up of Riko Ishino, THREEE, Hikaru Yamamoto, and tsumiki — each an accomplished artist in their own right — melded the unique sounds of the three instrumentalists with Ishino’s voice. Her voice ranged from wistful, like on “Casablanca,” to powerful and commanding, like on “Fragile Night.”
The headliner on the second day was the opening act on the first day: YOASOBI. They performed hit after hit, such as “Idol,” “UNDEAD,” and “Seventeen,” with Ayase shouting out, “Here, today, I know without question that this is the heart of it all, where we bring music to the world!” During “The Blessing,” the night sky over the Port of Yokohama was lit up with fireworks. Then, with the giant chorus of “Blue,” the second day of the event came to a resplendent close.
—This article by Takayuki Okamoto first appeared on Billboard Japan
Miami’s long-running festival III Points has announced the phase one lineup for its 2025 edition.
The two-day fest will feature sets from artists including 2Hollis, Michael Bibi, Peggy Gou, Darkside, Barry Can’t Swim, Indira Paganotto, Nina Kraviz, Sean Paul, Anotr, Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso, Denzel Curry, L’Imperatrice, Mk.Gee and Turnstile.
III Points 2025 will happen Oct. 17-18 at its longtime site at Miami’s Mana Wynwood. Tickets go on sale Thursday (April 24), with lineup additions to be announced in the coming months.
2025 will mark the festival’s 11th edition since it launched in 2013. The festival was founded by a trio of Miami natives, and over the last decade, has become a standout event on the U.S. electronic festival circuit, while also helping elevate Miami as one of the crown jewels cities in the country’s electronic scene.
The festival, which partnered with Insomniac Events in 2019, has a strong focus on local culture, typically booking many acts from the Miami scene and bringing in food and craft vendors who reflect the city’s thriving local culture.
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“I think it’s just very authentically Miami, and a real time capsule of Miami sonically and visually right now,” III Points co-founder David Sinopoli told Billboard in 2023. “I think people feel that when they come.”
“We’re thrilled to be bringing III Points back to Miami for its 11th installment”, Sinopoli adds in a statement. “It is not easy navigating a forward-thinking, multigenre festival in the North American music landscape nowadays 一 but I believe our commitment to our Miami music community has been the guiding force for us.”
See the III Points phase one lineup below:
III Points 2025
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