Before 2020, it was relatively unusual for fans to be able to experience a concert, festival, or other live event without attending in person. Now, in the third year of the pandemic, livestreaming is increasingly becoming the norm, even as more and more fans are returning to in-person events.
Coachella has been livestreamed on YouTube for years, but other major festivals, including Welcome To Rockville, Stagecoach, and Lollapalooza, have begun offering livestreams on various platforms for the first time during the pandemic to reach more fans around the world.
Following Hulu’s successful livestream of Lollapalooza in 2021, it is partnering with Live Nation and C3 Presents again and will host the official livestreams of three iconic music festivals — Bonnaroo in June, Lollapalooza in July, and Austin City Limits in October — in both 2022 and 2023.
“Hulu and Live Nation are both committed to delivering exceptional entertainment to fans, so we are thrilled to be collaborating with them, again, as we expand our offering to include these three legendary festivals,” said Joe Earley, President of Hulu, in a statement. “Each event is unique, but all three bring people together for incredible music, artistry, and experiences, which we are fortunate to be able to share with Hulu subscribers.”
Hulu subscribers will be able to access the livestreams at no additional cost, although only select performances at each festival will be streamed. There will be two live feeds available from Friday through Sunday for each festival, and one feed covering Bonnaroo’s and Lollapalooza’s Thursday shows. In addition to the performances, fans tuning into the livestreams will also get to see behind-the-scenes and other exclusive footage.
“The demand for live music is at an all-time high and the live experience has never been more connected to digital,” said Charlie Walker, Partner, C3 Presents, in a statement. “By expanding our partnership with Hulu, even more fans will be able to tune into each of these incredible festival experiences in real-time and enjoy live performances from their favorite artists with the fans on-site.”
As fans increasingly come to expect a digital engagement option for events, more and more concerts and festivals will continue to offer them. Deadline recently reported that Netflix is now looking into live streaming as well, which may include live events, so fans can look out for even more options in the near future.
Hulu will be announcing the specific livestream schedules for Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Austin City Limits in the weeks leading up to each festival.