What Republic Live does

Republic Live is a privately owned Canadian live entertainment company founded in 2011 with corporate headquarters in Toronto and an additional office in Nashville. The company produces large-scale music festivals, with its flagship Boots and Hearts Music Festival — an 8-time Canadian Country Music Association Country Festival of the Year winner and Academy of Country Music Festival of the Year recipient — operating annually at Burl's Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte, Ontario, a nearly 600-acre venue with capacity for 100,000+ attendees and 45,000 campers. The company has expanded its portfolio across genres, adding All Your Friends Fest (a pop-punk and alternative rock festival launched in 2024 at Burl's Creek, drawing approximately 15,000 attendees in its inaugural year) and announcing Boots and Hearts West for Edmonton, Alberta in August 2026 via a partnership with OEG Sports & Entertainment. Historical events include WayHome Music & Arts (2015-2017), Big Sky Music Festival (2019), and Canada Rocks with The Rolling Stones (2019, 70,000+ fans).

Republic Live generates revenue through tiered festival ticket sales (single-day and weekend passes ranging from $69.99 to $249.99 plus fees), camping and RV packages, premium VIP experiences (e.g., Daisy Duke's Deck VIP+ and Front Porch VIP), brand sponsorships (Happy Dad as Tailgate Party Partner, Spotify as streaming partner), and artist management fees from its RLive division launched in January 2024. RLive manages a roster of country artists including Tyler Joe Miller, Zach McPhee, and Madeline Merlo, extending the company's operations beyond the festival calendar. Ticket distribution is handled primarily through Eventbrite and direct website sales, with on-site festival experiences at Burl's Creek and Fan Park @ ICE District in Edmonton.

The technology stack is built on third-party operational tools rather than proprietary systems: Intellitix RFID wristbands for on-site access, registration, and sponsor activations; Eventbrite for ticketing and ticket holder management; and Google Analytics for web engagement tracking. The company is led by co-founders Eva Dunford (Creative Director / Founding Partner) and Brooke Dunford (Director of Talent Buying & Business Development, two-time CCMA Talent Buyer of the Year), with Todd Jenereaux as Executive Vice President and Anne Stirk (formerly of Universal Music Canada and Spotify Canada) as Director of Marketing and Brand Strategy. Republic Live is privately held with no disclosed external investors, operating as Boots and Hearts LP under Ontario law, and is positioned at the top of the Canadian country and camping festival category with 15+ years of operational history.

Name

Republic Live

Legal name

Boots and Hearts LP.

Website

https://republiclive.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Republic Live is a privately owned Canadian live entertainment company founded in 2011 that produces large-scale music festivals, headlined by Boots and Hearts (Canada's largest country music camping festival), and has expanded into pop-punk events, a Western Canadian festival launch, and artist management via RLive.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Music Festival Production

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114), Musical Groups and Artists (71113)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Live Event Marketing, Sponsorship & Brand Partnerships (MPAIAFAI), Live Music Clubs & Venues (MPAGAIAB), Venue Management & Booking Services (Third-Party Operators) (MPAGALAJ), Live Music Booking (Bands, Soloists, DJs) (HSACAHAA)

Keywords

• Live music festivals
• Country music events
• Artist management services
• Festival ticketing platforms
• Outdoor event production

Headquarters

HQ city

Simcoe

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Festival Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from ticket sales for Boots and Hearts Music Festival, All Your Friends Fest, and Boots and Hearts West events. Includes single-day tickets, weekend passes, and various ticket tiers.
2. Camping Packages: Revenue from tent and RV camping packages offered at festival venues, enhancing the customer experience and adding to per-attendee spend.
3. VIP Experiences: Premium VIP ticket options including Daisy Duke's Deck VIP+ and Front Porch VIP areas, offering elevated festival experiences at higher price points.
4. Sponsorships and Brand Partnerships: Partnerships with brands like Happy Dad (Tailgate Party Partner), Spotify (streaming partner), and other sponsors seeking access to festival audiences.
5. Artist Management (RLive): Management and artist development division of Republic Live that signs and manages country artists, generating revenue through management fees and artist development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Republic Live is a Canadian live entertainment company that produces and operates large-scale music festivals, with its flagship Boots and Hearts Music Festival as Canada's largest camping and country music festival held at Burl's Creek Event Grounds. The company sells festival tickets, camping packages, and VIP experiences directly to consumers, while also generating revenue through brand sponsorships and its RLive artist management division.

Product overview

Republic Live is a privately owned Canadian live entertainment and events company founded in 2011 with offices in Toronto and Nashville. The company operates a portfolio of music festival products centered around its flagship Boots and Hearts Music Festival (Canada's largest country music camping festival), expanded regionally with Boots and Hearts West, and diversified into the pop-punk/alternative genre through All Your Friends Fest. The company also manages a historical portfolio of past festivals (WayHome Music & Arts, Big Sky Music Festival) and special events (Canada Rocks with The Rolling Stones). In January 2024, Republic Live launched RLive as its artist management and development division, extending its infrastructure to provide management services to country music artists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Boots and Hearts Music Festival Republic Live's flagship multi-award-winning country music festival, Canada's largest camping and country music festival held annually at Burl's Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte, Ontario, featuring single-day and weekend passes, camping, and VIP packages.
• Boots and Hearts West Regional expansion of the Boots and Hearts Music Festival in Western Canada, a new two-day country music festival in Edmonton, Alberta at Fan Park @ ICE District, with headliners including Russell Dickerson and Shaboozey.
• All Your Friends Fest Two-day pop-punk and alternative rock festival held at Burl's Creek Event Grounds, featuring major acts from the genre including Fall Out Boy, Billy Talent, Jimmy Eat World, and Dashboard Confessional.
• RLive Artist Management Artist management and development division of Republic Live, focused on artist management, strategy development, creative content development, and career elevation. Manages artists including Tyler Joe Miller, Zach McPhee, and Madeline Merlo.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8-time CCMA Country Festival of the Year winner
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• OEG Sports & Entertainment (OEGSE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 December 2025Republic Live partnered with OEG Sports & Entertainment to bring Boots and Hearts Music Festival to Western Canada for the first time. Boots and Hearts West will take place August 28 & 29, 2026 at Fan Park @ ICE District in Edmonton, Alberta. OEGSE is a North American leader in sports and entertainment, bringing expertise in venue management and live entertainment operations.
• Happy Dad Hard SeltzerflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 June 2024Happy Dad joined Boots and Hearts Music Festival as the official 'Tailgate Party Partner' to deliver an unforgettable guest experience. Happy Dad infused the festival with a high-energy Tailgate Party featuring artist performances throughout the weekend. Special appearances by the NELK Boys, including Kyle Forgeard, added to the festival atmosphere.
• SpotifycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 June 2024Spotify was named the official streaming partner for All Your Friends Fest, continuing commitment to support and elevate the Canadian fan experience. The partnership included creating the official All Your Friends Fest playlist for artist discovery and festival promotion.
• Eventbrite, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party ticket seller platform that administers Republic Live event tickets. Eventbrite handles ticket sales and distribution for Boots and Hearts Music Festival and other Republic Live events.
• The Feldman AgencyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBooking agency for Zach McPhee. The Feldman Agency handles artist booking for Republic Live managed artist Zach McPhee.
• Paquin Artists AgencyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBooking agency for Madeline Merlo covering Eastern and Western Canada. Paquin Artists Agency handles artist booking for Republic Live managed artist Madeline Merlo with agents Julien Paquin (Eastern Canada) and Todd Jordan (Western Canada).

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• AEG Presents: Global concert and festival promoter that produces Coachella, Stagecoach, and other camping-festival formats. Operates in the same North American outdoor-festival and country-music promoter space as Republic Live.
• Live Nation Entertainment: World's largest live entertainment promoter with global festivals, owning Ticketmaster. Republic Live competes for talent and sponsorship share against Live Nation's country festival portfolio (e.g., Country Thunder, Watershed) across North America.

Direct peers

• Big Valley Jamboree: Three-day Alberta country music and camping festival in Camrose. Highly comparable to Boots and Hearts in camping-led country music festival format and Canadian market focus.
• Country Thunder Music Festivals: Multi-city camping country music festival operator running events in the US and (historically) Saskatchewan. Closest like-for-like outdoor country festival brand with similar multi-day lineup and ticket tiers.
• Havelock Country Jamboree: Was Ontario's largest country music and camping festival for two decades before winding down; historically the most direct Ontario-based comp to Boots and Hearts in size, format and genre.
• RBC Bluesfest: Major multi-day Canadian summer music festival in Ottawa drawing comparable headliners and corporate sponsor base. Operates the same ticket-sale/sponsorship flywheel model as Republic Live's flagship.
• Osheaga: Quebec's largest summer music festival with multi-stage programming; comparable in scale, ticket-tiering, and sponsor-driven revenue mix to Republic Live's Burl's Creek events.
• Cavendish Beach Music Festival: Atlantic Canada's largest multi-day country music festival with a camping component, directly comparable to Boots and Hearts in genre, format, and outdoor-camping scale.

Others

• OEG Sports & Entertainment: North American sports and entertainment venue operator that operates Fan Park @ ICE District and is Republic Live's strategic partner for Boots and Hearts West. Comparable as a venue/entertainment operator though not a festival competitor.
• The Feldman Agency: Canadian talent booking agency that books for Republic Live managed artist Zach McPhee and operates its own venue/promotion business; relevant as a comparable talent-and-venue operator in the Canadian live ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BootsandHearts
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BootsandHearts
• Facebookfacebook.com/republiclive
• Instagraminstagram.com/bootsandhearts
• TikToktiktok.com/@bootsandhearts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/republic-live

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Republic Live