How to market a music festival
Updated
Short answer
Build buzz early on social media around the lineup, turn that interest into sales with email, press and early-bird pricing, then put paid ads and referrals behind the final weeks while retargeting past buyers and fans who engaged but didn't buy. For Riley Green's Sandwich Fair show, b00st.com's pre-sale RSVP ads collected 1,318 RSVPs at $0.21 each, and the show sold all 7,000 tickets a week early.
The plan, phase by phase
| Phase | Goal | What to run |
|---|---|---|
| Announcement | Build buzz | Lineup posts and creator collaborations on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X |
| Pre-sale | Capture intent | RSVP and email sign-up ads, press outreach |
| Early bird | First sales | Early-bird pricing promoted to sign-ups and warm audiences |
| On-sale | Peak sales | Your biggest ad push, straight to the ticket page |
| Final weeks | Fill the gaps | Paid ads, attendee referrals, retargeting non-buyers |
| After the event | Learn | Attendee surveys and sales analytics for next year |
Ticket sales peak at the on-sale and the final walk-up, so that's where most of the paid budget belongs. See the full festival marketing playbook for each phase in detail.
Who to target
- Past buyers. They're the likeliest to come back.
- Fans of the lineup. Target followers of each headliner and the artists on the bill.
- Warm audiences. People who know the organizer, the venue or past editions.
- New prospects. Austin Psych Fest added AI-found prospects to its past buyers, lineup fans and organizer audiences.
Where to run ads
Run on several platforms at once and let the budget follow results. Float Fest combined vertical video ads on social, display ads and search ads. Short vertical video works best on Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, and Reels ads beat Feed ads on cost.
Retarget everyone who almost bought
Most ticket buyers need more than one touch. Retarget people who watched your ads, visited the festival site or bought in past years, and point them to the right ticket: weekend pass or single day. Lil Wayne's fall 2024 shows retargeted 200K+ fans for a 15.82% conversion rate (case study).
Measure tickets, not clicks
Share your ticketing pixel so every ad is judged by tickets sold and return on ad spend, not clicks. After the event, survey attendees and compare sales by channel and audience to plan next year.
Results
| Campaign | Result |
|---|---|
| Riley Green, Sandwich Fair | 1,318 RSVPs at $0.21, 7,000 tickets, sold out a week early |
| Heard Presents, 100+ shows | $0.28 CPC, 2.08% CTR, thousands of tickets |
| Nitro Circus, 18-stadium tour | 24,856 tickets attributed to ads, 4.19x ROAS |
For single shows and tours, see how to sell more concert tickets with paid ads.
More guides
- Are TikTok ads worth it for musicians?
- b00st.com vs. running your own Meta and TikTok ads
- How much should you spend to promote a song?
- How to launch a music video with ads
- How to sell albums and merch with ads
- How to sell more concert tickets with paid ads
- How to trigger Spotify algorithmic playlists with ads