AEG Presents, majority owner of the Firefly Music Festival, has acquired the remaining ownership shares of the popular music festival held annually at The Woodlands of Dover International Speedway.
As part of the acquisition of shares formerly held by Red Frog Events, a Chicago-based event company, AEG Presents will also take over the promotion and production of the festival, which has hosted entertainers such as Chance the Rapper, Eminem, Foo Fighters, Mumford and Sons, Muse, Paul McCartney and Tom Petty since its 2012 launch.
In 2014, AEG entered into a joint venture with Red Frog Events, in which Red Frog Events continued to produce the festival in partnership with AEG and Goldenvoice, founders of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. The firm then decided to expand its ownership stake and role in the festival following this year’s successful Firefly and Red Frog Events’ desire to shift its focus to other events and services.
“From day one, we have always believed that Firefly is one of North America’s most special festivals,” said Melissa Ormond, chief operating officer of festivals for AEG Presents. “Combined with the full commitment of AEG Presents’ resources, including an unrivaled production team committed exclusively to festivals, there is no doubt that the best is yet to come for the Firefly Music Festival.”
As part of the acquisition, several members of the core team of people who have managed Firefly since its inception have joined AEG, including Stephanie Mezzano, Firefly director and one of the festival’s founders.
“We have developed a strong relationship with AEG Presents over the past several years and I am thrilled to officially join the AEG Presents team, along with several members of the group that has built the festival since day one,” Mezzano said. “We now have the opportunity to push Firefly in exciting ways and to work more closely with the best in the business.”
