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The iHeartRadio Music Festival is returning to heat up Las Vegas on September 20 and 21, and iHeartMedia revealed the star-studded lineup on Tuesday (June 4). The Ryan Seacrest-hosted event, which is presented by Capital One and will take place at T-Mobile Arena, is set to feature performances by Big Sean, Camila Cabello, Doja Cat, […]
As the summer kicks off, the music business is shifting into the 2024 festival season, which has already seen its fair share of surprises. From Coachella only selling 80% of its available inventory, to Lovers & Friends getting canceled over severe weather and the steady growth of genre-specific or niche festivals like Chicago’s Sueños, the market is moving and fans’ tastes are shifting, with promoters, agents, managers and artists all looking to find the right formula to build out the best ecosystem.
At the forefront of all festival booking is CAA’s co-head of North American music Darryl Eaton, who books acts like blink-182, The Weeknd and RBD and helps develop festival booking strategy for major stars and emerging acts. He’s had extensive experience both booking his acts and watching the festival scene in the U.S. grow over the years, as players like Lollapalooza, Coachella and Bonnaroo move from scrappy upstarts to staples of the scene and the market begins to diversify with genre-specific lineups and new, previously-untested locations.
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Eaton sat down with Billboard to discuss how the 2024 festival season is faring, the appeal of nice festivals and where festivals fit into artist’s careers. “Things go in cycles,” Eaton says. “Look at Lollapalooza and Governors Ball this year — they had their fastest selling years in a decade. The formula is not black and white.”
How do you feel about the overall state of the festival business right now?
It’s really good. It’s been strong and growing over the last several years. There are new festivals coming up every year. One that goes up and doesn’t do well, or gets cancelled, or business is off, gets the biggest headlines. But for every one that’s not doing well it seems to be two or three that are coming online that are doing well. Overall, I see it as a growth sector.
We’re in a state where it is hard to create a new Bonnaroo, Coachella, Lollapalooza — a big, established [festival] — and those legacy brands are great and dominant. But what I’m seeing is a lot of growth in these smaller, niche festivals that are either very genre-specific or in new locations. They are popping up all over the place.
Why are these newer niche festivals doing so well?
Hard to say. For instance, there’s Jeffrey Shuman, who curates a couple of these very specific festivals that he puts out. He’s got hard rock festival Sick New World, Lovers and Friends that recently launched, When We Were Young which is a retro punk vibe, Besame Mucho which is Latin-driven. Goldenvoice just put up a new festival called No Values, which is punk rock. All those festivals have done really well.
They are very targeted: targeted music, targeted demo. They do a good job of creating a lineup that is undeniable. Festivals are driven by the talent. You can have as much vibe out there as possible, but it’s really about who you book that drives sales.
We saw slower-than-usual Coachella sales this year. Do you think that has anything to do with their lineup or the repetition in lineups for these legacy festivals?
From a touring standpoint, the business is very cyclical. The right artists dropping the record at the right time is what enables you to get Beyoncé to be your headliner at Coachella. Sometimes the planets don’t align for some of these festivals, that the time period is off for key artists. And sometimes things come together and there’s a lot of available headliners where there is too much to choose from.
If Coachella was off this year, I don’t think it is indicative of the festival or the talent. Things go in cycles. Look at Lollapalooza and Governors Ball this year — they had their fastest selling years in a decade. The formula is not black and white.
Where do festivals fit into artist development these days?
It depends on the artist. Getting in front of a lot of eyeballs at one time is a big part of the draw, both on the way up and when you’re established. Look at blink-182, who is headlining Lollapalooza. Last year, they sold out two nights in Chicago at the United Center and made way more money than you could make playing Lolla as a headliner. But they wanted to be in front of 100,000 people and find new fans and keep regenerating their audience. That’s why some artists will take a bit of a pay cut to play in front of an audience that could be four to five times their draw.
On the way up, for developing artists it’s about getting in front of people and being around other artists. Having that sense of community in the artist sense is important to a lot of these are artists that play [festivals]. The majority of the reason is to get those eyeballs and, if you’re good, win them over. [When clips of festival performances go viral], it can be like a giant online infomercial for you as a band.
Is it more lucrative for big artists to be playing festivals over headlining arena tours? Or have increasing ticket prices made it more valuable to stick to their solo tours?
Post-pandemic demand has been really strong and ticket prices have creeped up. For a lot of artists, it used to be you’d get an offer for a festival and, because it was a one-off and not necessarily part of your tour routing, you would demand fees that were much greater than what you might get if you played the market for a solo tour date. But at the higher end, if you’ve got the demand and you can sell tickets, you can generally make as much if not more doing your own show. So, it’s about strategic desires to get new fans. Artists always aspire to play these festivals because it’s a small group that gets invited to play and it’s a badge of honor.
It is getting more expensive and more difficult for smaller acts to do their own headlining tours. Do festivals make more sense for them?
You can’t develop a career only playing festivals. There are some artists who do it. They’re the perennial festival artists that have no hard ticket sales, but for the most part, in order to develop a career and have long-term solid fan bases, you need to be out there earning it — being on the road, selling hard tickets, developing fans.
Are there any niche festivals that have impressed you lately?
Some of the ones I mentioned before, like When We Were Young. They did a great job of making an undeniable lineup that captured the imagination of everybody who ever listened to that music for a period of time. They had to be at that show. When they started the one in Las Vegas three years ago, they blew out 65,000 tickets and then added a second show and immediately blew out another 65,000 tickets and then added a third show. Anything that captures that kind of audience with that kind of velocity is impressive.
Because these lineups are so specific, it seems there can only be so many artists that will fit the bill. Do you think they will be able to sustain that enthusiasm from festivalgoers?
I don’t know. Thankfully, that’s not my job. [Laughs] That would cause me great stress. But it remains to be seen. I’ve heard rumors about what they are coming up with for this year, but that’s the struggle for the niche festivals. Maybe they do burn out of their lineups over time, but I am sure these festival organizers are already thinking of what might be the next idea, the next niche, the next festival. Someone like Goldenvoice, who does Coachella, they’re always trying to do other festivals and other ideas. You’d think if you had Coachella and Stagecoach, you’d be like, “Yes, we’re good,” but it always seems like they’re hungry to come up with new ideas. There’s a particular addiction for all these festival curators to do more and come up with new and fresher ideas.
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New York City’s Governors Ball is among some of the biggest festivals to take place in the U.S., and if you’ve already scored Gov Ball tickets to see headliners including Post Malone, SZA, The Killers, Peso Pluma and 21 Savage, Forever 21 wants to help style you with a limited-edition collection inspired by the Big Apple.
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As one of the official partners of the music festival, the apparel brand teamed up with Live Nation and C3 to launch exclusive Gov Ball-themed festival outfits — and it’s still in stock (for now). The co-branded collection aims to pay homage to NYC and its sports heritage, featuring eight unique styles to stock up on. You can expect basketball shorts, hockey jerseys and basketball tops infused with a bit of glam to give it a fashionable twist.
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Each piece is also versatile enough to pair with your festival gear, including venue-approved bags and sunscreen so you can carry all your travel necessities without sacrificing trendiness.
Sizes go from XS to XL, with prices ranging from $24.99 to $79.99. The collection is available to shop online, in select New York stores and on site for the entire duration of Gov Ball.
To help you stock up on the limited-edition collab, we’ve picked out a few of our favorite pieces below. You can shop the entire Gov Ball x Forever 21 collection here.
Governors Ball Graphic Tank Top
Show off the Big Apple with this classic white tank top that’ll make the ultimate layering piece. On the front is a bedazzled “Gov Ball” in the shape of a red apple. The cropped length will help keep you cool during hot, humid days.
Governors Ball Basketball Shorts
Keep things casual and comfy in these basketball shorts. The design comes in a cobalt blue with an elastic waistband that you can adjust the tightness of using the built-in drawstrings. To complete its sporty vibes, the shorts come with a 24 and the festival name embroidered in the bottom corner of the leg.
Governors Ball NYC Checkered Romper
For a quick and easy outfit, this checkered romper gives you a full look — all you have to do is pull it up and on. Along the sides are a checkered graphic inspired by NYC’s taxis, while the front shows off a Gov Ball graphic with gold lightning bolts for added glam.
Governors Ball New York Checkered Top
This oversized checkered top takes style inspo from hockey jerseys, providing you with a loose and relaxed look. The V-neck features contrasting shades for a more sporty feel that you can pair with biker shorts or cargo pants.
Governors Ball Sequin Minidress
Eyes will be drawn to this shimmering silver-sequined minidress. The cut of the dress is straight to look like a basketball jersey, and even includes the festival name and the number 24 written across the center.
Governors Ball Letterman Varsity Jacket
Complete your festival outfit with this elevated varsity jacket in a crisp white with black decor to make it easy to pair with vibrant or sparkling layers. The outside features “NY” on the front and written out on the back, with hints of the festival patched onto the sleeves, as well as a button-up closure.
And, if you’re looking to accessorize, Forever 21’s Festival Destination includes even more outfit options categorized by some of the hottest trends, including Western, indie, EDM and even hip-hop-inspired styles.
Shop some of the brand’s most popular styles below.
Rhinestone Fringe Cowboy Hat
Infuse some sparkle into your Western apparel with this rhinestone cowboy hat. Along the hem of the hat is fringe rhinestones that’ll mesmerize as you dance and shake your head to the music.
Embroidered Metallic Cowboy Boots
Draw all the attention to your feet in a pair of metallic cowboy boots. You can choose from pink or silver shades, each embroidered with a classic Western pattern, and complete with pointed toes and pull-on tabs to make putting the shoes on a breeze.
The Solid Festival Bag
Keep all the essentials close to your chest — literally — with this festival belt bag. The versatile design uses an adjustable strap that can be worn along your waist or across your chest, while the main compartment can hold everything from your phone, wallet and tickets.
For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best jean shorts, shoes for travel and crop tops.
Performances were suspended at Sueños Festival and people were evacuated due to rain and thunderstorms, just minutes after Maluma had taken the stage in Chicago’s Grant Park on Sunday (May 26).
At around 8 p.m. local time, festival organizers sent an email, received by Billboard, with the latest update, which was also shared on social media. “Weather evacuation, please calmly head to the nearest exit,” they wrote on Instagram. “Unfortunately, event is over due to weather. Gates will not reopen.”
The abrupt ending to the festival comes hours after day two of the event had been delayed due to severe weather alerts. The first update came in around 8 a.m., with the announcement that the festival would be delayed. Five hours later, organizers said doors would open at 4 p.m. (instead of noon), and revealed a shuffled and shorter lineup. Just minutes before doors opened, they re-added artists that had been previously removed like Bad Gyal and Gabito Ballesteros.
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Maluma took to social media to tell his fans he was indebted with them. “The short time the weather allowed us to share together was the most chimba (best),” he wrote. “Just when the best part was about to begin, the storm scared us away. I love you.”
Peso Pluma was set to close on Sunday. Just minutes after the festival was officially canceled, he took to Instagram Stories to share the update with his nearly 14 million followers.
“I have bad news,” he said. “I just left the festival, they are evacuating everyone, they evacuated me too. My set was canceled because it’s supposed to rain heavily here in Chicago, with thunder. City officials won’t let the event go on today. I’ll keep you updated once I hear more. I hope you understand this is out of our hands, it’s because of the weather. I hope I can give you a good show here in Chicago when it’s possible.”
The many updates and delays throughout the day caused confusion, which led to complaints by festival-goers on social media, who wrote that it had all became a “nightmare.” Some asked for a refund, while others reiterated that this was for everyone’s safety. “They can’t control the weather,” one person pointed out. “This isn’t their fault. Stop whining.”
See Sueños Festival’s latest update below:
Due to inclement weather, the reminder of Jack Harlow‘s inaugural Gazebo Festival was canceled on Sunday (May 26). The Louisville, Kentucky, festival released a statement early Sunday afternoon after deliberating the day’s event’s status, opting to call things off for the safety of everyone involved.
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“The safety of our patrons, artists, and staff is paramount. Due to continuing hazardous conditions throughout the early afternoon and a second wave of weather expected this evening, we have made the very difficult decision to cancel the remainder of Gazebo Festival,” reads the statement. “All Sunday ticket holders will receive a refund in full. All Weekend ticket holders will receive a 50% refund. Refunds will be issued within 30 days.”
Harlow chimed in on the difficult decision of canceling the remainder of the festival via an Instagram Story. “Well. We have to cancel day two of Gazebo,” he wrote. “We are currently on a tornado watch. I know things cleared up a little bit, but the bad weather has damaged the site and there’s more storms and dangerous winds on the way. This means everyone on Day 2, including myself, won’t be performing anymore. I’m trying to focus on the positive because all I felt was happiness yesterday. I’m grateful for our flawless first day and for the way this city came together. Thank you so much. I’m sorry.”
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Day one of Gazebo Fest featured several exciting performances headlined by SZA, Vince Staples, Majid Jordan, Larry June, Raven Lenae, Jordan Ward and a DJ’ing set by James Blake. With a blend of hip-hop, R&B and DJ sets, Gazebo Fest was off to a promising start, as the two-day event brought in thousands of fans, especially out-of-towners, excited to see Harlow’s vision come to life.
“It sucks. I always wanted to see Jack Harlow in person, and I was excited to see him. I’m pretty disappointed that the concert was canceled. Still, I understand that our safety comes first,” Olujimi Awoliyi, a fan who traveled from New York to see Harlow perform this Memorial Day Weekend, tells Billboard.
Sunday’s lineup initially featured a headlining performance by Harlow and buzzing acts such as Pink Pantheress, Amaraee and Omar Apollo, continuing the “Lovin on Me” star’s theme of eclecticism. And though Harlow didn’t exactly get to put a proper bow on his first festival tonight, he still thanked his city for showing out with him as he posted a picture of himself enjoying yesterday’s festivities on his Instagram Stories.
“Yesterday was a perfect day. Thank you, Louisville,” he wrote.
Sueños festival-goers will get to see four out of the nine artists that were set to perform on Sunday (May 26) in Chicago’s Grant Park. Following thunderstorms and severe weather alerts, organizers announced early in the morning that “doors for Day 2 of Sueños Festival will be delayed until further notice,” a decision made in […]
Just days after wrapping his first-ever tour, Xavi made his U.S. festival debut at Sueños on Saturday (May 25). The Mexican-American rising star performed in Chicago’s Grant Park to a crowd that sang along to his biggest hits, including “La Diabla” and “La Víctima,” both Billboard Hot 100 chart entries. By now, the 20-year-old is […]
After starting Baja Beach Fest in Rosarito, Mexico in 2018, which captured the ever-growing reggaeton scene with a lineup that included headliners like Bad Bunny, Yandel and Farruko, Aaron Ampudia and Chris Den Uijl were looking to take the concept to a whole new market.
“Chicago was the target,” says Ampudia over the phone from his home in San Diego. The Midwest city is now home to Sueños, which he and Den Uijl launched in 2022 with a lineup that leaned urban with some regional Mexican in the mix. This year, the two-day festival – headlined by Rauw Alejandro, Peso Pluma and Maluma – is sold out for the first time since launching, with 65,000 expected in downtown Grant Park each day (May 25-26). “Chicago has the infrastructure to host festivals like Lollapalooza, one of the biggest in the country, and the Mexican and Latin market, which we consider the second largest after Southern California. It made sense for us to go after Chicago.”
Indeed, Chicago, the third largest city in the country with a population of 2.6 million as of July 1, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, has a massive Latin presence that contributes to the diversity of the city. Chicago’s population is about one-third Latino and one in five Chicagoans identify as Mexican, according to an analysis by WBEZ.
Yet for many years, Chicago residents felt they were snubbed from major Latin music events that took place in other big Hispanic markets like Los Angeles or Miami, which is why smaller, community-driven and grassroots events flourished in the summer in public parks located in predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods around the Chicagoland area.
“I think the country sees Chicago as one thing unfortunately and often its violence, and that comes from a lack of experiencing our culture,” says Mo Mami, local DJ and creative director, who has performed at multiple local festivals since launching her DJ career five years ago.
“Small scale festivals are the kind of festivals that really drive a bigger picture. When you have enough of those showcasing diversity of sounds, the brands that are part of big festivals see that there’s a thirst in the community for something even bigger and it plants the seeds to grow from the block parties to public parks to Grant Park.”
While a community effort, Ruido Fest was the first “big” Latin festival to take place in Chicago. Produced by local-based production company Metronome, its concept was unique as it catered to a fervid Latin alternative, rock en español fanbase with headliners like Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Panteón Rococó and Café Tacvba, forging its own path in a reggaeton-dominated world. It kicked off in 2015 in Adams Park (then went on to Union Park) but struggled after the pandemic. Last year’s edition was cancelled and there’s no word about it coming back. “Our main goal was to expand opportunities for Latin artists and fans of Spanish-language music in Chicago in the long term,” the festival then said in a statement. “After almost a decade of work we are proud to have a hand in the tremendous growth of the local Latin scene.”
While other festivals were inspired by the success of Ruido Fest, many of the ones that emerged right after were short-lived. Lift Off cancelled the second day of its debut edition in 2018, and Los Dells, while not in Chicago but in Wisconsin, billed as the “first major Latin music festival in the Midwest,” lasted three years (2017-2019).
“Of course, it worries you,” says Ampudia about the risk of launching a Latin festival in Chicago. “But we knew that the Latino culture across the U.S. was underserved of a festival that they could call their own. And there was nothing really that we saw that was in Chicago. That’s where it clicked for us. We need to come out and do it the best way possible, the biggest possible, with the best partners and that’s why we partnered with C3 (who produces Lollapalooza). It’s nerve-wracking but the response has been unbelievable.”
The success of a Latin music festival in Chicago is “contingent on the lineup, concept, and capacity of the festival,” says Henry Cárdenas, founder of Cárdenas Marketing Network, the biggest indie Latin promoter in the world, who is based out of Chicago. “The co-existence of multiple festivals enriches the city’s cultural landscape, offering more choices and opportunities for both attendees and performers. If each festival continues to innovate, adapt, and engage with its audience effectively, there’s ample room for co-existence and success in Chicago’s dynamic festival scene, which is now drawing larger and more diverse audiences, reflecting the growing influence and appreciation of Latin culture in the city,” he adds.
A local favorite event, Miche Fest, is also making waves as it prepares to host its biggest edition since launching six years ago. In partnership with indie promoter Zamora Live, the 6th annual Miche Fest will take place in July for the first time in Chicago’s Oakwood Beach with superstar headliners Kali Uchis, Junior H, Luis R Conriquez and Los Ángeles Azules.
“Honestly, we just listened to feedback from the fans, those buying tickets,” says Fernando Nieto, co-founder of Miche Fest, who adds that the new alliance with Zamora Live is key to the festival’s growth. “Latinos are very vocal, they’re in our DMs telling us what they like and what they don’t like. The number one comment was that they wanted bigger names. Before there was Sueños, obviously, we were already trying to come up and we saw the demand and we were like ok we need to get bigger. It was a natural progression; we started as a street festival with local talent and look where we are now. This is an event organized by black and brown people from the South Side of Chicago and it makes me proud to see how much we’ve grown.”
Chicago’s ever-evolving yet booming Latin music festival landscape reflects what we’re seeing across the country, with a growing market that now includes the nostalgia-inspired Bésame Mucho in L.A., which this year expanded into Austin, and the debut of Bottle Rock’s La Onda in Napa Valley set for June.
“Latin artists deserve top billing and they can get lost in a lineup like Lollapalooza or Coachella,” adds Karina Gonzalez, VP of touring and development at Zamora Live. “But when there’s a local festival where you can exalt them in that way, it’s pretty cool and it was missing in the market. It’s missing in billings of festivals all over the country so it’s nice to be part of that and elevate the talent that gets lost in the weeds at other festivals.”
With Ruido Fest out of the picture (for now) and Sueños and Miche Fest as the leading Latin music festivals in the Midwest, it’s very telling of the Latin market today, says Mo Mami.
“When Ruido was around, it gave an even more expansive look into the diversity of Chicago’s Latin market,” she explains. “Sueños’ lineup features what’s popular on the radio with big names, in Grant Park. And then we have Miche Fest, which is more local, with a mix of banda, reggaeton, cumbia. These are the options we have to experience Spanish music in such a large scale here, which is fine because it’s what’s going to sell, and get the people turned up. It’s nice to have representation one way or another.”
Pavement, James Blake, Kurt Vile, Courtney Barnett and more have been announced as headliners for the 2024 edition of Seattle’s famed Bumbershoot Arts and Music Festival held at Seattle Center. Kim Gordon, Freddie Gibbs, Aly & AJ, Cypress Hill and Marc Ribillet will also perform at the 51st edition of the festival, which is set to take place Aug. 31-Sept. 1.
The Labor Day weekend staple returned last year for its 50th anniversary with new production partners the New Rising Sun coalition, in the process bringing back a sense of local identity to the long-standing event.
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Last year’s return “was a huge success,” says McCaw Hall GM Joe Paganelli, who also co-leads New Rising Sun. “We wanted to realign the festival with Seattle’s changing growth, purpose and needs. We dug deep and invested heavily in visual arts and trying to create a spirit of discovery.”
After taking three and a half years off due to COVID-19, the revived festival saw great success last year with Pacific Northwest bands like Sleater-Kinney, Band of Horses and Sunny Day Real Estate on the bill. This year, organizers dug even deeper into the festival’s roots and brought back talent booker Chris Porter, who previously booked Bumbershoot for 18 years. Paganelli initially reached out to Porter for advice on the 2024 lineup before asking the veteran booker to return.
“I didn’t see it coming but I was very touched and honored,” says Porter, who adds that New Rising Sun was “bringing [the festival] back in the very similar spirit of eclecticism and discovery as we had done in years past, so I wanted to pick up where we left off.”
With a lineup that also includes Badbadnotgood, Chvrches’ Lauren Mayberry, Carl Cox, Lee Fields, St. Paul & the Broken Bones, The Polyphonic Spree, Madison Cunningham and Andrew Bird, Porter focused on two main components to book this year’s festival: discovery and value.
“It’s great if people go to see their favorite bands or artists perform, but hopefully they’re going to find their new favorite band there too,” says Porter. “The only thing I wanted to do a little differently than last year is maybe broaden it a little bit, address some world/global music sounds more and stretch the demographics.”
The full Bumbershoot lineup also includes Acid Tongue, All Them Witches, Angélica Garcia, Automatic, Balthvs, Black Belt Eagle Scout, Corridor, Dean Johnson, Disq, Emi Pop, Flesh Produce, George Clanton, Gold Chisme, Grynch, Helado Negro, Hurray for the Riff Raff, I Dont Know How But They Found Me, k.flay, Kassa Overall, King Buffalo, Kultur Shock, Ladytron, Lemon Boy, Linda from Work, Lol Tolhurst x Budgie, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Mercury Rev, Moor Mother, NAVVI, Neal Francis, Oh, Rose, Parisalexa, Pink Siifu, Pom Pom Squad, Psymon Spine, Pure Bathing Culture, R E P O S A D O, Rocket, Spoon Benders, Squirrel Flower, Stephanie Anne Johnson, Sux, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, TEKE::TEKE, The Divorce, The Groovy Nobody, Thee Sacred Souls, TK & The Holy Know-Nothings, Tres Leches and Warren Dunes.
“We’re lucky to work in Seattle and doing this [festival] in this area. The community is very open-minded and open to discovering different sounds and different art,” says Porter. “It is really rewarding and I hope people like what we did this year.”
In addition to music, Bumbershoot will continue with its renowned visual arts component. The festival is reinforcing its commitment to the regional community with the return of fan favorites like the Fashion District, the Out of Sight exhibit and a film program while also introducing new programming including a unique partnership with NASA, a Bigfoot deepfake animation competition and more.
Additionally, the Century 21 District at the Pacific Science Center will feature a “Sculpture Parking Lot” featuring large-scale contemporary sculpture. “Songs for Space,” in partnership with NASA, will project James Webb Space Telescope images in the PACCAR IMAX theater alongside a range of different vocal groups, including gospel, opera and Gregorian chant.
The Recess District will present the art of performance with rollerskating, gymnastics, breakdancing, double-dutch jump rope and cheerleading as well as a skateboard competition and a wrestling showcase called Bumbermania!
New Rising Sun’s commitment to Bumbershoot is only in its second year, and Paganelli says growing the festival’s presence is a priority going forward. “We’re going to supercharge and expand the Bumbershoot brand with new and different opportunities throughout the year, which includes a brick-and-mortar venue that will harken back to Andy Warhol’s Factory,” he says. “Then there will be additional programming verticals coming out that we’re not prepared just yet to release but are in the planning process already.”
Tickets for the 2024 Bumbershoot Arts and Music Festival are on sale now. Head here to check out the full lineup along with the festival’s culinary and visual arts programming.
Expanding into a two-day event to uplift Asian and AAPI artists, culture and connection, the 2024 MetaMoon Music Festival hits New York this fall with Henry Lau and Eric Nam as headliners, Billboard can exclusively reveal.
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Taking place at the Brooklyn Paramount on Sept. 27-28, the fest brings Lau and Nam together with rising stars Emei and SUNKIS, as well as unique educational opportunities in partnership with the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment at Long Island University. The one-day student conference, “The Summit: Rise of Asian Artists and their Global Fandom,” takes place on Friday, Sept. 27, with panel discussions and masterclasses by industry professionals to foster dialogue on Asian representation in the music industry as well as networking opportunities.
“The ethos of MetaMoon is to amplify Asian/AAPI talent on stage by giving underrepresented artists a consistent platform to perform in front of their fans in the U.S.,” Grace Chen, founder of MetaMoon Music Festival, tells Billboard. “Just as importantly, we want to empower Asian/AAPI voices behind the scenes, in the rooms where decisions are made and agendas are set. Our collaboration with the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment equips students and the next generation of music executives with the access and insight, and hopefully inspiration, to show up and get involved.”
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Produced in collaboration with Live Nation, the pre-sale for the MetaMoon concert tickets begins on May 22 and goes on general sale via Ticketmaster on May 24. Registration for the Roc Nation School x MetaMoon Summit opens on Sept. 4.
Ahead of MetaMoon Music Festival 2024, Billboard sat down with headliner Henry Lau for 20 Questions to discuss his involvement in the show for his first-ever headlining slot in a U.S. festival, latest music developments and more.
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1. Where are you in the world right now, and what’s the setting like?
Right now, I’m traveling around everywhere so I tell my friends I’m like a stewardess. I’m currently in Korea. In a few weeks I’ll be going to, I don’t know, Paris. I was just in Thailand last week. It’s all over the world. But right now, I’m here in my studio/office/gym — there’s a whole entire gym area here.
2. You’re coming to the 2024 MetaMoon Music Festival for your first time headlining a U.S. festival. What can we expect?
This is the first time I can really show my stage and sing as much as I want for my fans who know that all my shows have a very unique stage. Because I don’t just go up and sing, there’s a lot of instruments and then there’s a lot of live recording, looping, I like to take a lot of props on stage and record them into songs. I’m really excited that people in America can see that from me for the first time. And, of course, mixing in classical music.
3. Is there any new music we’ll hear at MetaMoon?
I actually haven’t told anybody about this yet, but right around that time, I’ll probably be releasing a new single. I’ve already teased this with my fans very personally, but it’s a song called “Always Been You.”
4. You’ve teased your full-length album for a while now. What’s the status?
I have put the album on hold. I’ve already apologized personally to all my fans. But it is completed. It’s just that I have so many projects right now that when I release it, I have to—and my fans would appreciate it—promote it properly. I’m just waiting for the right timing; I just don’t know when that will be exactly.
5. You’ve spoken about representation in Hollywood in the past, and MetaMoon celebrates and highlights AAPI artists and culture. What’s the significance to you of being part of such an event?
I don’t really think of it. I’m there to perform music, right? There are no borders to music so I think I’m just so happy that I could perform in the States and and it could be a cross-cultural festival. That’s my opinion. For me, it’s music first — I’m not thinking that this represents anything like that.
6. You are so multifaceted in all your music inspirations, the languages you speak and sing in, or how you release music. What is your approach when you’re creating the music itself?
For every song, it’s totally different. The one really big element of my songs is not just the audio, but I think about how I will perform this onstage. For example, one of my latest singles was called “Moonlight.” I made that song and then had a different version where I used a loop station process performing on stage. And for the songs I’ll be performing at the festival this time, you will be able to see all of that. That’s one way I approach a lot of the songs. When you have too much going on in an audio track, it’s just too crazy, so I like to leave it for the performance. When you actually listen to my songs, those are probably the most basic versions.
7. if you could travel to any musical era, when and where would you go?
I used to think it would be the ’80s or ’90s because it feels like all the great melodies, the simple melodies, weren’t thought of back then. I used to think that way, but then you see the amazing pop music that comes out today, too — I’m not saying every song. But I think the earlier you go and when a new genre of music is being born, I’d say at the start of any musical era. If it’s the start of classical music, that’d be amazing.
But right now is a really great time for mixing different genres since there are so many amazing genres out there. And if you’re arguing that a genre has already matured, if you start mixing genres and mixing cultures, then the possibilities are limitless. And I think that’s where my role is now in the music field overall — I think that’s my purpose.
6. MetaMoon is not just about the concert, but there is a summit, panels, and other ways to help build the community and music-industry network. What will you bring to these events?
First of all, I’ve never done anything like this before, so I’ll usually just go up, perform and, you know, say hi. And that’s it. So this is something very, very new and I’m very excited to do it. I have no idea what it’s going to be about but I’m just excited to share what I’ve learnt. Maybe not everything I say will be the most correct, but it’s just my experience. I think I’ve gotten to an age — I’m pretty old now [Laughs] — where there are a lot of aspiring musicians, and I hope that my experiences can help give them a good idea of what to expect and what they need to work on in certain aspects. I’m just very excited to be sharing my story.
9. The Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment at LIU is collaborating with MetaMoon for their “The Evolution of Asian Artists and their Global Fandom” summit. You also went to a music school. How significant are these opportunities?
I think the biggest benefit was meeting my peers and fellow musicians. At that time, there weren’t a lot of forums like this. Usually, these days in music school, they have a lot of guest speakers and successful musicians come up and share their stories. And I actually watch those now and look for them on Instagram or YouTube. It’s something that I wish I had when I was younger. I think it’s very, very important because there’s no textbook for music or the music business or guide to let people actually know these are the hard things that you have to deal with…I’ll do my part and I hope it helps because everybody’s story or way to success is very different. So, I think the more you listen, the more you hear these stories, the more you can apply it to yourself.
10. I want to give you your flowers for your place as such a unique musician in pop music. Do you see yourself having a role in shaping or changing perceptions of popular music?
I used to think that I came from a unique background, but I’m coming to realize there are so many more people who are similar to me background-wise. I have a lot of people that come up to me like, “Hey, I also learned piano, I also learned violin,” “I’m living in Canada, but I don’t have anything to do with K-pop, what do I do?” [or] “How did you do that?” Everyone from my hometown is almost identical to me background-wise. I think I have a role to let people know that it is possible. I hadn’t a probability of like 0.01% of this happening to me, but then there were certain steps I took and I think that maybe it’s my role to share that with people.
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11. Looking wider, what are your hopes or aspirations in representing kids from your hometown who might want to pursue a similar path?
Right now, I’m just focused on giving all my fans the best music possible, the best stages and the best content. Before COVID, I was planning on a tour and that’s something I still want to do in the near future. And through that, they can see what is possible. But what’s different about America, compared to performing in Asia which I usually do 99% of the time, is I think in the States, they can recognize that I’m more similar to them. So, I think that one main difference when I’m performing or working in the States, it’s like, “Hey, he’s one of us and he’s doing this.” I think similar to Eric [Nam] as well. I’m very happy to let people know that things are possible.
12. You and Eric Nam are both headlining MetaMoon Music Festival together. Are you friends?
At the start of our careers, we were both on different shows and came up together. Sometimes, I would be on shows where he was the MC; I would watch it later and be like, “Whoa, he was there with me.” We basically grew up together and we came up very, very similarly from a similar background.
13. Fans have also watched you grow in your acting career. Do you have a movie that always makes you smile?
To be honest, I don’t watch many movies. I don’t have much time. I watch movies when I feel like I need to be lifted up — movies that show somebody going through a harder time than me or any movie following any genius. What’s that movie with Russell Crowe being a mathematician? A Beautiful Mind. Yes, that’s a beautiful movie. So when I watch movies like that, it’s like, “Ooh, they went through so much; what I’m going through is actually nothing.”
14. If you don’t mind sharing, what was a hard time you went through recently and how did you overcome it?
There’s everything. Just even preparing for one stage, people see me play a lot of instruments. I record things up on stage, and [with] every little thing I do, I’m the one directing it. I make all my equipment, I make custom instruments for myself, and I do all the mixing for everything that’s recorded. If the stage performance is 30 minutes, I will spend at least five days just doing technical things: dealing with lighting, visual effects, all the LEDs, all the logos, everything. I have a habit of trying to do everything. It gets stressful when you’re dealing with that and under a tight timeline. There’s just a lot of that but what I like to show people are not the hardships.
15. You shared that you recently went to Nashville and met with the members of OneRepublic. What is the importance of traveling for music to you and did anything come from this trip?
I was actually on a journey to explore music and explore myself. This could be a whole separate interview, but in short, it was to find the best way to combine classical violin and pop music. The perfect place for that is actually country music because, if you think about it, violin is in maybe 50% of country music. So I went to the birthplace of country music, explored that, and we actually came up with something amazing. It’s all in that new album, all the new concepts, something the world’s never heard. Concept-wise, it would be “country x K-pop x violin.” That’s the reason why I’m putting off the album and waiting for the correct timing because I believe so much in this project.
16. What’s something you learned in Nashville?
I actually didn’t know, but the fiddle is violin — it’s the same thing, it’s just the way you play it. So, I actually learned how to fiddle. When you pull out a violin in Nashville, everybody plays it, so it was kind of shocking. Hopefully, if we can get one of those songs done before the festival, that would actually be really cool…maybe there’s a chance of me performing…you just gave me an idea.
17. You grew up in a musical family. What do your parents think of what you’re doing today?
Well, in the very beginning, they were against it. Sending your kid off away from home to become a singer doesn’t sound too promising, you know? But I decided to take the risk and I convinced them to let me do it. And I haven’t been doing so bad. Ever since then, they’ve been supportive. I think what’s really important for an artist, or anyone, is that the people around you support you. And I know not everybody has supporting families, bu it’s really important to build the people around you. I was thinking how that’s something really important through this forum that maybe some people who don’t have enough support can meet other people there.
18. Do you have a proudest moment of your career so far?
No, I actually don’t. I’m the type that I ask my company to remove all my trophies and awards that they like to put on display and stuff. I don’t look at those and feel satisfied; I’m not that type. Of course, I’m very thankful but I don’t think about those kinds of things. I just think about what I’m going to be doing tomorrow, what I’m going to be doing next month, when I’m going to perform at the MetaMoon Festival.
19. That’s interesting because you said your first celebrity crush was Christina Aguiler. She’s said she puts away her Grammys and awards when recording. But you said you liked her because she was not only pretty but talented. What draws you to an artist?
I actually totally forgot that I said that, but now that you’re saying it and I’m like, “Yeah, that’s actually true.” First, I think talent is very important and, until very recently, I only looked at talent. What I’m actually finding that I’m drawn to these days is the character of the artist. If you wanted to be just an artist, you should release music and not come onto the screen. But if you decide now to be in the media, to even show your face or let people know who you are, then you have a responsibility of also leading people in a good direction — not doing, you know, stupid shit. One thing that’s really inspiring to me when I see an artist is when they’re 360 [degrees], the whole picture of what they’re doing and what kind of energy they’re bringing to people. I think that’s something that also really draws me into them. Before, when there was less social media, it wouldn’t be that important; you could get by with just having art or your music because there were no platforms to constantly show your personality.
20. What’s your relationship like with social media as an artist?
For me, Instagram is just a way of communication between me and my fans. I don’t like to put my entire life up there and I’m very careful with what I want to put up. But I’ve done so many silly things on TV and everything that I have very little to hide from my fans. So, there’s no certain image for me to upkeep or anything — I can put up a picture of me looking horrible and it wouldn’t be so much of a shock to my fans because they’ve already seen everything they have to see of me. I’m more lucky in that aspect, but I’m still not the type to put up my whole life on Instagram. I would say everything I’m doing is all for the fans.
Tickets to MetaMoon Music Festival 2024 are available via Ticketmaster.