PLAY Festival
Insomniac is a privately held electronic dance music festival producer operating 16+ branded festivals (EDC, HARD Summer, Beyond Wonderland, Dreamstate, etc.) across the US and international markets, with revenue from ticket sales, music label operations, streaming radio, merchandise, and sponsorships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What PLAY Festival does
Insomniac Holdings, LLC is a privately held electronic dance music festival and live-events producer founded in 1990 by Pasquale Rotella and headquartered in Los Angeles. The company operates a portfolio of 16+ branded festivals and event series — including Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC), Beyond Wonderland, Nocturnal Wonderland, HARD Summer, Dreamstate, Escape Halloween, Countdown, Project Glow, Forbidden Kingdom, Boo!, Skyline, Electric Forest, Forever Midnight, Together As One, and Holy Ship! — spanning multiple genres (trance, bass, house/techno, mixed EDM) and running across 9 US regions and international markets including Mexico, Korea, Colombia, Thailand, and Europe (Netherlands). Revenue is generated primarily through one-time ticket sales for festivals and club/concert events, supplemented by merchandise (Insomniac Shop), music operations (Insomniac Music Group, Insomniac Records, Insomniac Radio streaming, Night Owl Radio podcast), and brand sponsorships. Distribution is multi-channel via the Insomniac website, a proprietary iOS/Android mobile app, and authorized ticketing partners including Front Gate Tickets, Ticketmaster, Eventim, Dice FM, and Tixr, with the mobile app and radio stations serving as year-round engagement tools layered on top of event-driven acquisition.
The underlying technology stack is conventional event-management and content-distribution infrastructure: a ticketing platform integrated with the Insomniac Events mobile app, a 24/7 streaming radio service, and artist tools such as the Discovery Project submission platform. The company has no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, no public API, and no patents or formal certifications in the data. Insomniac's strategic moat rests on three decades of brand equity (particularly around EDC), a vertically integrated content ecosystem (festival + label + radio + app + merchandise), and a multi-region distribution footprint that has been progressively extended both domestically (Arizona, Pacific Northwest, Rockies) and internationally. The business model is fundamentally B2C with a secondary B2B sponsor segment, and customer concentration risk is structurally low given the millions of individual ticket buyers across the festival portfolio, though revenue predictability is exposed to event-cancellation, regulatory, and macro-cyclical risks inherent to live entertainment.
PLAY Festival firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PLAY Festival
- Legal name
- Insomniac Holdings, LLC
- Website
- https://playfestival.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Insomniac is a privately held electronic dance music festival producer operating 16+ branded festivals (EDC, HARD Summer, Beyond Wonderland, Dreamstate, etc.) across the US and international markets, with revenue from ticket sales, music label operations, streaming radio, merchandise, and sponsorships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PLAY Festival industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Music Festivals
- NAICS
- Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- DJ & Electronic Music Venues (MPAGAIAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Party DJ, Music & Audio Services (HSACACAI)
Keywords
Where PLAY Festival is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
PLAY Festival business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Festival Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling tickets/passes to electronic music festivals and events across multiple cities and regions
- Concert and Club Event Tickets: Revenue from individual concert and club event ticket sales
- Music and Content: Revenue from Insomniac Music Group including record label operations, Insomniac Radio, and artist releases
- Merchandise and Shop: Insomniac branded merchandise sold through Insomniac Shop
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Event-specific pricing - varies by festival and concert |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels6 records
PLAY Festival product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Insomniac operates a portfolio of electronic dance music festivals and live events across the United States and internationally. The company produces 16 distinct festival brands (including Electric Daisy Carnival, Beyond Wonderland, Nocturnal Wonderland, Escape Halloween, HARD Summer, Dreamstate, Holy Ship!, and others) ranging from multi-day destination festivals to club shows and single-artist concerts. The company also operates music media properties including Insomniac Music Group (record labels and artist management), Insomniac Radio (24/7 streaming), Night Owl Radio podcast, and the Insomniac Events mobile application for event discovery and ticketing.
Product overview
Insomniac operates a portfolio of electronic music festivals and live events across the United States and internationally. The company's product ecosystem consists of 16 distinct festival brands (including Electric Daisy Carnival, Beyond Wonderland, Nocturnal Wonderland, Escape Halloween, HARD Summer, Dreamstate, and others) that range from multi-day destination events to club shows and single-artist concerts. In addition to live events, Insomniac offers a mobile application for event discovery and ticketing, and maintains music media operations including Insomniac Music Group, Insomniac Records, Night Owl Radio (podcast), and Insomniac Radio (24/7 streaming). The festivals vary by genre focus (trance, bass, house/techno, mixed electronic), geographic region (West Coast, East Coast, Pacific Northwest, Florida, Europe), and seasonal timing. Events range from large-scale stadium festivals to intimate club experiences, with the company also producing destination events like Holy Ship! (cruise) and international EDC events in Mexico, Thailand, Korea, and Colombia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC): Major electronic dance music festival held in Las Vegas and internationally
- Beyond Wonderland
- Nocturnal Wonderland
- Escape Halloween
- HARD Summer
- Dreamstate
- Project Glow
- Forbidden Kingdom
- Boo!
- Countdown
- Night Owl Radio
- Discovery Project
Products and services
- Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC)
Companies that use PLAY Festival
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
PLAY Festival technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
PLAY Festival partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Factory 93coreFactory 93 is a San Francisco-based promoter and club brand that partners with Insomniac on events. Featured in artist events like Pegassi at 1015 Folsom in San Francisco, representing Insomniac's collaboration with regional club promoters.
- Front Gate TicketscorePrimary authorized ticketing partner for major Insomniac festivals including HARD Summer, Nocturnal Wonderland, Countdown, Dreamstate, and others. Handles ticket sales and distribution for most Insomniac events.
- Insomniac Music GroupcoreInsomniac's in-house music division encompassing record label operations (Insomniac Records), Insomniac Radio streaming platform, Night Owl Radio podcast, and Discovery Project artist development program.
- TicketmastermajorAuthorized ticketing partner for select Insomniac events including EDC Orlando and certain club concerts. Provides additional ticket distribution channel for consumers.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights10 records
PLAY Festival competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Live Nation Entertainment: Global live entertainment conglomerate operating concerts, festivals (including Bottlerock, Reading/Leeds, Electric Forest-adjacent properties), venues, and ticketing via Ticketmaster. Competes with Insomniac for top EDM talent bookings and festival real estate while also being a counterparty for select ticketing distribution.
- AEG Presents: Live Nation's primary competitor and operator of Coachella via Goldenvoice, plus festivals across multiple genres. AEG competes directly with Insomniac on premium festival talent, sponsor dollars, and venue partnerships across the US and select international markets.
Direct peers
- C3 Presents: Austin-based independent promoter operating Austin City Limits Music Festival, Lollapalooza (with partners), and other large-format events. Comparable mid-size independent festival operator competing for sponsors, talent, and ticketing infrastructure.
- Ultra Music Festival: Flagship global EDM festival brand originating in Miami with events in Miami, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Closest direct competitor to Insomniac's EDC franchise — competing for the same electronic music headliners, sponsors, and global festival attendees.
- Electric Zoo: New York-based electronic music festival operating in Randall's Island. Overlaps directly with Insomniac's Project Glow and East Coast festival strategy in targeting the Northeast EDM market.
- Tomorrowland: Belgium-based electronic music festival widely regarded as the largest EDM festival globally, with global expansion including Tomorrowland Winter and Brazil editions. Direct competitor for premium international EDM talent and global headliner audience.
- Superfly: Independent live events company producing Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, and other multi-genre destination festivals. Comparable as an independent festival producer with vertically integrated brand and sponsor relationships, though broader in genre than Insomniac.
- Creamfields: UK's largest dance music festival, operated by the Cream brand (now part of Live Nation). Competes with Insomniac for EDM headliner bookings and cross-Atlantic electronic music fan engagement.
Others
- Spotify: Music streaming platform and key distribution channel for Insomniac Music Group releases, with official Insomniac Events playlists. Strategic content partner rather than direct competitor, but materially shapes electronic music discovery and audience reach that feeds Insomniac's fan funnel.
- Front Gate Tickets: Primary authorized ticketing partner for most Insomniac festivals (HARD Summer, Nocturnal Wonderland, Countdown, Dreamstate, EDC). Operates as distribution infrastructure for Insomniac events and other major festival clients.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
PLAY Festival social profiles
Digital presencePLAY Festival financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PLAY Festival leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
PLAY Festival subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
PLAY Festival funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PLAY Festival M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PLAY Festival
What does PLAY Festival do?
Insomniac operates a portfolio of electronic dance music festivals and live events across the United States and internationally. The company produces 16 distinct festival brands (including Electric Daisy Carnival, Beyond Wonderland, Nocturnal Wonderland, Escape Halloween, HARD Summer, Dreamstate, Holy Ship!, and others) ranging from multi-day destination festivals to club shows and single-artist concerts. The company also operates music media properties including Insomniac Music Group (record labels and artist management), Insomniac Radio (24/7 streaming), Night Owl Radio podcast, and the Insomniac Events mobile application for event discovery and ticketing.
Is PLAY Festival a public or private company?
PLAY Festival is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was PLAY Festival founded?
PLAY Festival was founded in 1990. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is PLAY Festival based?
PLAY Festival is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does PLAY Festival make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Festival Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are concert and Club Event Tickets, music and Content and merchandise and Shop.
Who are PLAY Festival's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Live Nation Entertainment and AEG Presents. Direct peers are C3 Presents, Ultra Music Festival, Electric Zoo, Tomorrowland, Superfly and Creamfields. Others are Spotify and Front Gate Tickets.
Does PLAY Festival have an API?
No public API is recorded for PLAY Festival.
What industry is PLAY Festival in?
PLAY Festival's product category is Live Music Festivals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAIAE, DJ & Electronic Music Venues, with a secondary code of HSACACAI, Party DJ, Music & Audio Services. Its NAICS code is 711 and its SIC code is 7900.