The future of live music may be less about the venue and more about the experience. And the more off-the-beaten-path, the better.
New York-based event producer Project 91 announced this week that it is launching Playgrounds, a new live experiences platform backed by investment from Justin Kalifowitz's Klaf Companies. The new venture will combine Project 91's growing portfolio of concerts, destination events, and branded experiences under a single umbrella while supporting expansion into new markets.
Since launching in 2021, Project 91 has built a reputation for staging electronic music events in unconventional locations across New York City, from the Rockefeller Center ice rink and Central Park to waterfront spaces typically disconnected from the live music business. Not to mention, Action Bronson packing downtown New York's famous restaurant institution, Katz's Deli, for an 11pm start time concert.
Now, through Playgrounds, the company plans to scale that model. Because this speaks to a greater trend that seems to be spreading around the live music industry: the growing importance of place-based experiences.
The Venue Is Becoming Part of the Show
For decades, promoters largely focused on booking artists into established venues. Increasingly, however, the venue itself is becoming a key component of the experience.
Whether it's concerts on aircraft carriers, rooftop performances, warehouse parties, botanical gardens, ski resorts, museums, waterfronts, or historic landmarks, audiences are showing a growing appetite for events that offer something beyond the performance itself.
Playgrounds appears to be leaning directly into that trend.
+Read more: "Concert Films Have Become the Second Leg of an Artist's Tour"
This summer alone, the company plans events at Brooklyn Army Terminal, New York Harbor, and a range of unconventional spaces in Charleston, South Carolina, including waterfront properties and the historic USS Yorktown aircraft carrier.
The strategy reflects a shift occurring across the live sector as promoters compete not only for ticket sales but for attention in an increasingly crowded entertainment landscape.
Experience-Driven Events Continue to Grow
Experience-based entertainment isn't limited to live music. Brands are capitalizing on hybrid events blending destination-specific design, hospitality, food, tourism, and lifestyle experiences into single offerings, creating multiple reasons for fans to attend beyond the artist lineup alone.
Alongside concerts, Playgrounds operates a portfolio of recurring branded events including Mirari, Friends in High Places, Above 10, Palma Day Club, NYC Halloween Weekend, and the New York Taco & Tequila Festival.
For promoters, that diversification can reduce dependence on a single headline act while creating opportunities for sponsorships, partnerships, and repeat attendance.
These days, audiences are often seeking to purchase access to a complete experience rather than simply buying a ticket to see a performer. As competition for fans' time and attention intensifies, promoters that successfully combine artists, environments, and memorable experiences may be among the best positioned to thrive.
Playgrounds is betting that the next generation of live events won't just happen in venues — they'll happen everywhere.
