Serena Flowers joins us to share the story behind the festival General Store you’ve probably relied on at Coachella, Stagecoach, and dozens of other major events. What started with a not-so-glamorous festival moment, getting lost without service and breaking a shoe, turned into the idea that launched her entire business. Over the past 20+ years, Serena’s General Store has served more than 80 music festivals across the country and over a million fans.

We talk about how the General Store grew from that initial spark into a fast-paced festival operation with multiple on-site locations. Serena also shares her newest project, Festi Essentials, a “general store in a box” designed to help festival-goers stay prepared as music festivals continue to expand across the U.S.

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This episode is our Outside Lands 2026 lineup reaction! We pull up the poster together and talk through our favorite artists, surprises, and early thoughts on the lineup.

Outside Lands is August 7–9 in San Francisco. Going? Let us know in the comments!

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Caleb Arias, creator of the Bonnaroo Yearbook Project and the mind behind The Bonnaroo Yearbook Guy, joins us to talk about documenting one of the most iconic music festivals in the world.

We talk about how the project has grown, what he’s learned along the way, and what’s next — including bringing the yearbook concept to Okeechobee Festival and expanding his Bonnaroo I Spy project.

Find Caleb on Instagram and TikTok @bonnarooyearbook and at bonnarooyearbook.com

Keywords: Bonnaroo, Bonnaroo Yearbook Project, Bonnaroo Yearbook Guy, music festivals, festival culture, festival photography, Okeechobee Festival, Hulaween.

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In this episode of Festies, we are joined by our friend Aaron Apple, a longtime rock and metal fan and festival regular, to talk about the evolution of festivals from Warped Tour and Mayhem Festival to Aftershock Festival.

We dive into how Warped Tour shaped a generation of punk and alternative fans, how Mayhem Festival brought major metal lineups to cities across the country, and how events like Aftershock Festival in Sacramento became a modern home for rock and metal lovers. Clark and Aaron also reminisce about their day at Aftershock, the bands, the chaos, the nostalgia, and what makes festivals like these stick with you years later.

If you grew up on Warped Tour or found your scene at Aftershock Festival, this episode is for you.

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We’re diving into our first reactions to the BottleRock 2026 lineup. We go day by day through the artists, call out the surprises, and talk about who we’re most excited to see. If you’re planning your weekend in Napa, this is your quick, hype-filled lineup rundown!

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We chat with Ritesh Patel, CEO and co-founder of Ticket Fairy and founder of LOCUS Festival (A Drum 'N' Bass Experience in Paradise), to talk about how a love for throwing parties turned into building real systems that help promoters bring their vision to life.

Ritesh shares what producing over 400 shows taught him about the biggest challenges promoters face, not a lack of creativity, but a lack of time, tools, and capital. Those lessons shaped how Ticket Fairy works, from affiliate ticketing to fair resale and smoother on-site entry.

We also get into lineup flow, crowd energy, and why thoughtful curation matters just as much as booking big names. From creating Locus in Tulum and Bali to navigating agents, weather chaos, and even a volcano, Ritesh breaks down what it really takes to build festivals people feel connected to.

This conversation is all about supporting independent festivals, leading with community, and helping organizers actually see their ideas through.

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In this episode, we’re catching up on everything that shaped our year and talking honestly about where Festies is headed in 2026.

We share quick reactions from Governors Ball (June 5th - 7th in New York City), and walk through our 2025 scorecard, including what we hit, what we missed, and what we learned along the way.

Follow along with Festies Podcast on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube @festiespodcast

Cheers to 2026!

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We’re recapping our favorite Festies moments of 2025 — from Portola, SFJAZZ, Give Thanks, ACL, Stagecoach, Bonnaroo, and beyond. We talk about standout shows, unexpected moments, and the little things that made this year unforgettable.

As we head into the off-season, we’re slowing the release schedule while leveling up the storytelling. Got a topic or guest idea? DM us, share with your fest friends, and leave a quick rating or review to help others find the show.

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