What we can learn from Artist Produced Festivals

By: Holly Owen, FestForums | September 21, 2026

Over the weekend, FestForums was lucky enough to attend Experts Only Festival, John Summit's own event on Randall's Island, NYC. It got us thinking about where this industry is headed.

For anyone who missed it: Experts Only is not a festival where John Summit headlines. He's behind every part of it. Only in its second year, Experts Only sold out with 50,000 people across three stages. He handpicked every artist himself, GRiZ, Subtronics,Adam Ten and packed the weekend with back to back sets that felt like a direct extension of his own vision rather than someone else's lineup. 

What stood out most on site was the branding, or lack of it. No stage sponsor logos, no scattered sponsor activations, just Experts Only branding throughout. It made the whole weekend feel like it belonged to the artist rather than to whoever paid for the naming rights.

He's not the only one taking this approach either. We've seen a handful of artists lately step out from under a promoter's curation to build festivals of their own, handling everything from lineup to atmosphere to mission.

Why this is happening now

Artists have more leverage than ever before. They have direct access to their fans, real insight into who those fans are, and, increasingly, the money and partnerships to fund a full scale event themselves. What once required a major promoter to execute is now achievable for an artist with a large enough following and the right production partner. The benefits are clear: complete creative control over the lineup, the atmosphere, and the story the festival tells. There's no need to compete for stage time or set length within someone else's event.

What this means for the industry

A few things stand out here. Artist produced does not mean lower quality production. These events are still backed by experienced partners, so the infrastructure is solid, what has changed is who is making the decisions. Curation is also becoming part of the brand itself, fans aren't only coming for the artists, they're coming because they trust the person who picked that lineup.  This opens the door for artists with a clear vision to build events a traditional promoter might never have approved.

Is this the future?

We don't think this replaces promoter led festivals, but it is carving out a real lane alongside them. As more artists see peers pull this off successfully, more will look to try it themselves. For anyone working in this industry, the question isn't whether the trend continues. It's how we adapt to work alongside it.