LouFest Joins with Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits Producer: What Will it Mean?

Sep 18, 2012 at 6:34 am

Jason Stoff

The confetti has barely settled on LouFest year three: Despite some uncooperative weather, this year's incarnation, featuring headliners Girl Talk and the Flaming Lips, was its biggest yet, with some 12,000 in attendance. And today, its organizers have an announcement that will dramatically change the festival in Forest Park going forward: LouFest has entered a partnership with C3 Presents, which is most well known as the producer for massive events Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits.

"We're excited to enter into this partnership -- it's a perfect match," says LouFest founder Brian Cohen in a press release. "Through the creation of this joint venture, we gain C3's experience and expertise, as well as investment, that will allow us to grow."

It's a huge step for the festival and one that will have immediate, dramatic impact starting right away. The exact extent of LouFest's expansion remains to be seen, but the new depth of resources will result in a more stages, larger area and bigger names on the bill.

This doesn't mean C3 will take over every aspect of LouFest -- the organizing body here in St. Louis (Listen Live Entertainment) will maintain an equal say in the decision-making process.

"LouFest will continue to have the same local feel and dedication to St. Louis that we've always had," says Cohen. "But now we can take it to the next level and create a premiere destination music festival for the city."

So while there are few specifics at this point, it's safe to say LouFest 2013 will mark an unprecedented shift in the young festival's evolution.

Along with today's announcement about the partnership with C3, we've got the dates for year four: September 7 and 8. It will still be held in Forest Park. That's a bit later than in years past.