SFX has recently been all over festival news due to recent reports of it’s attempts to take over the Double JJ Ranch and the Electric Forest Festival. Now, according to recent reports from Marketwatch.com, the live event and digital entertainment giant has acquired React Presents. Those who follow EDM events and festivals are very familiar with React Presents because it is one of the midwest’s leading promoters of EDM with festivals Spring Awakening and SummerSet under it’s belt and also promotes up to 200 events a year in Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Robert FX Sillerman, Chairman and CEO of SFX Entertainment stated, “React Presents enhances the nationwide network of promoters for SFX and brings two new and highly successful festivals into our U.S. repertoire, which already includes TomorrowWorld, Mysteryland, Sensation, Electric Zoo, Disco Donnie Presents and Life in Color, and is further bolstered by a newly formed marketing and content partnership with Clear Channel Media and Entertainment. React Presents is a dominant player in the Midwest, so it was strategically important for us to join forces. React’s ability to put together and promote so many quality productions that excite so many fans will greatly add to our success and growth.”
Co-Founder of React Presents Jeff Callahan also stated, “After years of being Independent Festival / Concert Promoters in the Midwest, we are very exited to join the SFX family. We feel this strategic partnership with SFX Entertainment and its team of like-minded pioneers will make for a massive global company.”
The news of SFX Entertainment recently acquiring so many festivals such as Tomorrowland, TomorrowWorld, Mysteryland, Sensation, Stereosonic, Electric Zoo, Disco Donnie Presents, Life in Color, Rock in Rio, Nature One, Mayday and Ruhr-in-Love has many fans feeling a bit uneasy about the fact. There are even Electric Forest Fans who have started a facebook Page to protest the buying of the Double JJ Ranch, although it seems like this could be inevitable. Some EDM fans just do not want their music or their events commercialized. If that’s the case, maybe they need to change genres because it appears that SFX is going to gobble everything up!!