
Forecastle
Mission:
Music.Art.Activism®. Founded by Art of Impact's JK McKnight, Forecastle launched 2002 inside Louisville’s award-winning Olmsted park system (Central Park, Biltmore Estate, US Capital), was one of the first contemporary music festival models to make sustainability a core pillar of its DNA, shifting the industry flywheel towards a more socially-conscious, environmentally-friendly direction.
Strategy:
Start small, dream big. Place music, art, and activism on equal footing, investing in each equally. Think differently. Focus on creating experiences you would not find in a traditional festival environment, merging education and entertainment, while weaving in local culture. Create an authentic, immersive environment where the culmination of experiential brand activations and locally-sourced micro experiences forged a distinctive identity and stimulating journey of artistic and cultural discovery.
Results:
Forecastle scaled quickly, as did its environmental Foundation, drawing audiences from over 2400 cities and 13 countries, and featured an eclectic mix of artists, including The Black Keys, Jack White, Beck, Sam Smith, Outkast, LCD Soundsystem, Arcade Fire, Chris Stapleton, My Morning Jacket, Sturgill Simpson, and over 500 more. It outgrew five venues on its way to 85-acre Waterfront Park: the largest and most scenic outdoor venue in Louisville, KY. From 0 to 75,000 attendees, the smallest city park to one of the largest, the festival was acquired by AC Entertainment in 2013 and Live Nation in 2016.