Live Nation is taking festival production into the virtual world.
The concert giant has teamed with Livewire to launch Music Festival Tycoon, a new Roblox experience that lets players book artists, build stages and create their own music festivals.
The game is already drawing a crowd, with more than 3.5 million visits and over 23 million in-game performances to-date. Inspired by the more than 200 festivals Live Nation produces worldwide, Music Festival Tycoon gives players control of the entire festival experience, from lineup building and stage design to merchandise and fan activations.
The platform’s first featured artist is CORTIS, while Lollapalooza becomes the first real-world festival to enter the game. CORTIS will headline virtual performances, appear through exclusive member-inspired avatars and receive a dedicated stage that players can add to their own festivals. The rollout coincides with the group’s U.S. festival debut at Lollapalooza.
Lollapalooza’s Roblox presence will include recognizable elements from the Chicago festival, including its main stage, lollipop mascot, official merchandise stand and a Chicago-style hot dog vendor.
“Festivals have always been shaped by the fans who attend them,” Anubhav Mehrotra, head of product, data and fan engagement at Live Nation Media & Sponsorship, said in a press release. “Music Festival Tycoon brings that same creativity to Roblox, where fans can build, personalize and share festival experiences of their own.”
The experience also gives brands a new way to carry festival sponsorships into Roblox through branded stages, virtual merchandise, creator collaborations and custom activations.
“Roblox users aren’t just virtual fans — our data with GWI shows they significantly overindex for live event attendance,” said Jessica Meehan, head of music partnerships at Roblox.
Livewire Co-Founder and Co-CEO Indy Khabra said gaming has become a core part of music culture rather than an add-on.
“Gaming is no longer a side channel for music. It is where culture is built,” Khabra said.
Music Festival Tycoon is available now on Roblox.
