2023 Impact 50: Charles Attal & Charlie Walker

Co-Founders & Partners
C3 Presents

C3 Presents’ Charles Attal and Charlie Walker, two of the promotion company’s three original founders, continue to be a strong presence on the festival circuit, expanding its Lollapalooza brand for the first time to India.

“That presented an enormous opportunity for us,” says Walker. “Logistically, it was one of the more challenging festivals we have done, but we have a seasoned team and great partners in BookMyShow, and the festival was a huge success. We are excited about the future of Lollapalooza and where we can take it next.”

Indeed, C3 also finalized a 10-year deal for Lollapalooza to continue at Chicago’s Grant Park, where they also held Sueños, the very successful Latin/reggaeton festival over Memorial Day weekend. Last year, art aficionado Attal oversaw the launch of his own pet project, FORMAT, an eclectic festival that featured not just music, but art and technology held in the Ozarks near Bentonville, Arkansas, with a second iteration this September featuring headliners Alanis Morissette, LCD Soundsystem and Leon Bridges.

“Demand for live events is at an all-time high, and festival ticket sales have continued to increase every year,” says Attal about whether the current market is getting too saturated with weekend-long music gatherings. “Consumer confidence is strong as fans understand they get more bang for their buck when they can see 100 bands and have a great music-filled weekend at a well-executed festival. I’m confident the live event business will continue to remain robust.”

As for the rise in overall costs and inflation and their effect on ticket prices, Attal admits, “That remains one of our biggest challenges. However, the situation has presented a unique opportunity for us to re-evaluate our events and utilize some ingenuity and creativity to get costs under control.”

C3 has other new festivals on tap for the summer, including Ocean’s Calling – whose sold-out inaugural run last year in Ocean City, Maryland, was derailed by a hurricane – and the FairWell Festival in Richmond, Oregon. The inaugural Two Step Inn took place April 15 and 16 in Georgetown, Texas, with Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers headlining a country-roots-Americana lineup that also included Midland, Travis Tritt, Tanya Tucker, Wynonna Judd, Clay Walker and Mavis Staples.

“It’s a honky-tonk-inspired festival, perfectly curated with established and up-and-coming artists,” says Attal. “But it also featured great food, dance floors for two-stepping and incredible vibes from fans. It was just great to get out of the gate with a new festival hitting on all cylinders and we can’t wait to do the next one. It was the most fun I’ve had at a concert all year.”

In addition, the company is partnering with and booking their hometown’s year-old Moody Center (managed by Oak View Group, the parent company of Pollstar), named Best New Concert Venue at Pollstar’s 34th Annual Awards ceremony, and home for CBS’ recent televised CMT Music Awards. Acts scheduled to appear through the end of the year include The Cure, Morgan Wallen, Billy Strings, Janet Jackson, Duran Duran, Logic, Kid Rock, blink-182, Paramore, Tears for Fears, Alicia Keys, Lil Baby, Thomas Rhett, Beck & Phoenix, Jonas Brothers, Sam Smith, Drake, Arctic Monkeys, Sting, Pearl Jam, Madonna, Chris Stapleton, Depeche Mode, KISS, John Mayer and The National.

“Moody Center set out to be one of the top ten busiest venues in the country and it has fulfilled that promise. A venue like this has only amplified the live music scene that has proceeded Austin’s reputation for many years,” Attal says.

As for the live touring industry’s biggest social issues, Walker reiterated the company’s commitment to supporting inclusivity and sustainability, noting the use of TURN, a leading scalable reuse system that features recyclable cups, collection bins and mobile washing systems, offering incentives to fans to place their finished cups in the right bins.

“It is our goal to continue to find sustainable solutions within our business and move closer to our goal of hosting 100% single-use plastic-free events,” he says.