It’s getting pricier to put on a festival
'We've been struggling to break even'
The following article appeared in the June 19, 2024, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with smart and original local news for Charlotte. We offer free and paid subscription plans. More info here.
Arts and culture groups say their events budgets are getting squeezed by the rising costs of rentals, venue space and security
The BOOM Charlotte festival gives local artists and cultural groups, like Charlotte-based MufukaWorks Dance Company (shown here in the 2023 BOOM Charlotte festival), a chance to spark creativity among each other and their audiences. (Photo by Juan Ossa, courtesy of BOOM Charlotte)
by Lindsey Banks
Nonprofit Tosco Music has been putting on events and festivals in Charlotte for nearly 25 years, growing to four annual shows at the Knight Theater over that time. The most popular is a two-day festival celebrating the Beatles, called FabFest.
But this year, founder John Tosco had to cut one of his signature programs, the Tosco Music Party, because he said the cost of holding events has risen to a crescendo.
Many of the elements of holding a music festival, from equipment and venue rentals to program printing and security rates, have become pricier since the pandemic, but Tosco Music hasn’t raised ticket prices since Covid to keep their events accessible and affordable.
To account for those costs, Tosco made the hard decision of cutting the 2024 Tosco Music Party, which would typically be held in the fall, and he moved the annual FabFest, usually held in the summer, to October.
“We’ve been struggling to break even,” he said.
Rising inflation has put more pressure on arts and culture organizations, and even before the pandemic, organizations often saw slim profits from community events. Now, with costs rising, many organizers say they’re now having to cut back on their events — or limit their growth.