Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza & ACL Will Livestream Globally on Disney+ and Hulu
A festival weekend used to belong mostly to the fans who made the trip. Today, a surprise guest appearance becomes the thing everyone is talking about before the set is even over. A breakout artist can become an overnight obsession worldwide.
The festival still happens in one place, but the experience now travels instantly. Starting this summer, Disney+ is joining Hulu to bring Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits Music Festival to fans around the world as livestreams expand beyond North America for the first time ever.
The Festival Crowd Is Bigger Than the Audience Onsite
The fan discovering an artist at Lollapalooza doesn’t have to be in Chicago anymore.
They might be in São Paulo, watching a livestream of a set that turns into their new obsession. Or in London, staying up late because the headliner everyone’s waiting for is just about to walk onstage.
Seventy-three percent of fans say they’re listening to more international artists than they used to. The artist someone discovers during a festival stream on a Saturday night can quickly become the show they travel to see months later.
The audience around a festival weekend now stretches far beyond the people standing onsite.
“Music festivals are among the most electric, can’t-miss moments in culture, and now Disney+ and Hulu subscribers around the world can experience the excitement,” said Lauren Tempest, General Manager, Hulu. “As we continue to extend our live offerings, we remain committed to bringing fans the biggest, most iconic moments right as they happen, and are thrilled to bring that vision to life with Live Nation.”
Bigger Than the Setlist
The stream itself is only part of the story.
Disney’s approach reflects something larger about how fans experience live music now. The performance may bring people in, but the moments around it are often what keep them engaged.
Alongside performances, Disney is bringing back a redesigned “Live Set” studio featuring artist interviews, live hosts, behind-the-scenes access and creator-led coverage throughout each festival weekend. The broadcasts will also spotlight Disney’s broader programming, promoting upcoming shows and movies across the platforms.
If the approach feels familiar, it should. Sports has long understood something valuable about fandom: people rarely show up only for the main event. They stay for the personalities, anticipation, commentary and unexpected moments in between.
Festival weekends increasingly behave the same way.
The anticipation before an artist walks onstage. The backstage moment everyone is reposting. The interview fans watch while waiting for the next set. The feeling that something exciting could happen at any minute.
“Music festivals used to be experiences reserved for the people who could physically be there,” said Kevin Chernett, EVP, Head of Global Media Partnerships. “Now they’re becoming global live moments that fans want to experience together in real time, no matter where they are in the world. Expanding this partnership with Disney+ and Hulu allows these festivals to reach music fans at an entirely different scale.”
Fandom Doesn’t Stop at the Gates
Fans have always been deeply connected to their favorite artists. What’s changing is how those moments travel and how quickly audiences everywhere can experience them together.
For brands, the audience around a festival weekend is now much bigger than the fans standing in the crowd.
