Superstruct Launches Event Series To Explore Brand Partnerships At Festivals

Superstruct Entertainment has launched The Front Row, a new event series designed to give brands and agencies the opportunity to connect with live event audiences.

As live entertainment grows in cultural significance and ecnonomic value, the opportunities for brands extend beyond reach and visibility, or, as the Superstruct press release announcing the launch of The Front Row states, “the right partnerships can create deeper audience connections, build relevance and deliver tangible commercial results.”

The Front Row series brings together brands, agencies and industry leaders to explore how to make the most of event and brand partnerships. The first instalment in the series took place in London, Oct. 15, under the theme “Can Brands Create Joy and Connection at Festivals?”

The event featured a keynote from Luisa Fortuna, Superstruct’s Global Research and Strategy Lead, who outlined three roles brands can play at festivals: making the experience easier, inviting people to engage, and becoming part of the festival’s story. The central message was that brand fit alone is not enough; partnerships need to offer something audiences genuinely value.

There was also a fireside conversation between Alex Mahon, CEO of Superstruct Entertainment, and Glyn Fussell, Co-Founder of Mighty Hoopla, moderated by Nick Lound of Superstruct UK.

Drawing on perspectives from across the live entertainment industry, the discussion explored why shared live experiences are becoming increasingly valuable to audiences, what makes Superstruct’s approach to brand partnerships distinctive, and how brands can build culturally relevant relationships that endure beyond the event itself.

A few real-life examples from the UK were brought up during the discussion, including DHL’s presence at Lost Village festival, where a themed depot and stage embraced the festival’s distinctive identity; and UNO at Boardmasters, where an interactive beach-house gave fans a place to play the classic card game.

At Mighty Hoopla, Lidl teamed up with Hunsnet to present its “Live, Laugh, Lidl” activation that saw live performances from Celine Deal On and resident DJs, offering fans the chance to win Lidl merchandise. Meanwhile, the Hayu Arena returned for its third year, pairing reality TV personalities with a playful line-up of pop acts to reflect the festival’s love of pop culture and entertainment.

The examples were picked to illustrate how brands can move beyond traditional sponsorship, and become part of the festival experiences to create deeper audience engagement and commercial value.

The next instalment of The Front Row is scheduled to take place in February 2027.

See: Superstruct Entertainment Launches Artistic Code Laying Out Programming Principles

Comments:

Alex Mahon, CEO of Superstruct Entertainment, “Live experiences offer something fundamentally different: the opportunity to be present, discover something unexpected and connect with other people in real life. That’s what makes festivals so powerful.

“For brands, the opportunity isn’t simply to be seen. It’s to understand what makes each festival and its audience distinctive, and to contribute something that makes the experience more valuable for fans. Through The Front Row, we want to help brands and live entertainment leaders understand how to create partnerships that deliver genuine value for audiences and businesses alike.”

Glyn Fussell, Co-Founder of Mighty Hoopla, “People come to festivals for much more than the line-up. They come for the community, the shared experiences and the feeling of being part of something. At Mighty Hoopla, joy and a sense of belonging are at the heart of what we do.

“Brands can be a brilliant part of that, but they need to understand the culture they’re stepping into. The best partnerships bring something unexpected, playful or genuinely useful to the audience. When a brand gets that right, it becomes part of the memories people take home with them.”

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