Sofar Sounds

🎁 Sofar just made CNN Underscored's holiday guide "The 26 best experience gifts they’ll never forget”: "The musically minded person on your list is bound to love one of these small-venue shows. And who knows, the experience might just lead them to discover their new favorite artist." Perfectly said. And, stay tuned, Sofar Gift Cards are launching globally later this month. Because live music makes a great gift 🎶

Want to bring unforgettable live events to your city? We're seeking passionate, connected go-getters to join our global network of producers! You’ll hit the ground running curating unique experiences in extraordinary spaces, supported by a worldwide team, creative resources, and a community that’s reimagining how people experience live events. We’re currently recruiting freelance event producers in the following cities: Australia: - Adelaide - Brisbane - Byron Bay - Canberra - Gold Coast - Melbourne - SydneyCanada: - Calgary - Ottawa - Edmonton - Halifax - Quebec City - Winnipeg United Kingdom: - Belfast - Dundee - Inverness - Liverpool - Nottingham United States: - Buffalo - Burlington - Charlotte - Cincinnati - Knoxville - Miami - Minneapolis - New Orleans - Oklahoma City - Portland, ME - Providence - Richmond - St. Louis Learn more and apply at https://lnkd.in/d-qS9ig

This just in: “Sofar, which serves people new artists without the intervention of an algorithm, has all the undeniable elements of cool: underground artists, exclusivity, and leaving the house. …a movement is building to get people off their phones for even just an evening, and people are flocking to companies that provide opportunities for in-person connection.”—‘Offline is the new luxury’; Business Insider https://lnkd.in/ee2_7Uks

Sofar FRINGE made its Shoreditch debut last month. It was our first-ever multi-venue indoor festival, replete with secret sets, 95+ artists, and packed rooms across unconventional spaces, all at accessible prices. We set out to reimagine the festival experience around community, discovery, and comfort—and the response was electric. Highlights: - Music, comedy, dance, spoken word, talks, and a Singles Power Hour - An all-Queer curation hosted in a radical bookstore - Community care front and center with CALM and Self Space Social - Shoreditch spaces brought to life: Town Hall’s Council Chamber, Shoreditch Treehouse, The Common Press, D’Stassi Art, Gigi’s Hoxton, Bread & Butter Lounge, 83 Rivington, and more Thank you to the artists, crews, partners, venues, and audiences who made the inaugural Fringe feel like London at its best. See you next year. Photos courtesy of GROOVE MAGAZINE

Scaling to 400 cities without a standardized playbook sounds impossible. Sofar Sounds proved it's not. When Kaz Komolafe joined as VP of Experiences, she inherited a business that started with living room concerts in North East London and somehow expanded to 78 countries. But here's what makes their approach unusual: they deliberately avoid standardization. In our latest Future of Consumer Marketing episode, Kaz reveals how they built systems that enable hyperlocal authenticity at global scale. Spoken word performances pack venues in London but barely exist in Edinburgh. Latin American markets feature primarily Spanish-language artists. Each of their 400 cities looks completely different. The strategy hinges on finding the right local leader in each market. Someone embedded in the arts scene who understands cultural nuances. Then giving them real autonomy to curate experiences. But autonomy without guardrails creates chaos. So Sofar built two quality control mechanisms that don't require centralized approval. First, an extensive YouTube library that shows local leaders what "good" looks like. It's both their artist discovery platform and their quality benchmark. Second, audience feedback data on every single performance that surfaces when coaching is needed. Kaz also walks through their transition from grassroots community to working with Universal Music and major brands. Their activation with O2 Telecom took 100 people to the Scottish Highlands for a livestreamed festival. The key was integrating the brand naturally into a culturally resonant experience rather than forcing product placement. One insight that challenged conventional wisdom: they've never prioritized growth at all costs. No massive performance marketing budgets masking weak fundamentals. Just sustainable economics that force authentic community building. Want to learn how they use data to enable distributed decision-making, why trading operational efficiency for cultural relevance pays off, and the onboarding systems that help local leaders succeed? 🎧 Listen to the full episode (link in the comments)

From lofts to town halls: we turned Shoreditch into a sonic map — here’s how Sofar Fringe rewrote the rules of festival, courtesy of GROOVE MAGAZINE: https://lnkd.in/eBmZyzU8

Our founder Rafe Offer on the Sofar origin story with Tara Keeney...

With one night to go til our inaugural festival, hear from Francesca Jackson, the mind behind this concept, on why this felt like the right next step for Sofar Sounds. If you haven't already got your spot saved, we opened up some last minute tickets here: sofarfringe.uk

In a world of endless swipes, curated profiles, and algorithmic matchmaking, genuine human connection can feel harder than ever to find. Our second panel at Sofar Fringe will be chaired by Creative Producer Nasya and join Wendy Robinson (Campaign Against Living Miserably - CALM), Jodie Cariss (Self Space) and Ben Bradley (the Council of Bens) for an exploration of what it really means to belong in the digital age. This talk unpacks the evolving landscape of connection, the search for community, and the deep human need to feel seen. From ghosting to group chats, we're asking the big question, how do we find our people when the rules keep changing?