Same Same But Different

What Same Same But Different does

Same Same But Different (SSBD) is a privately held California-organized LLC that produces a music and arts festival at Lake Perris, California. Founded in 2018, the company has operated continuously for eight years (2018-2025) and intentionally caps festival attendance at 7,500 guests to preserve a boutique community experience across five main stages and 75+ workshops.

The business monetizes through a diversified event-revenue stack: tiered ticket sales, on-site camping and glamping, RV rentals (partnered with RV Way Of Life), merchandise, and food/beverage concessions. A notable operational feature is the boat-ferry-accessed Nakey Island stage, which extends the venue surface area on Lake Perris and reinforces the festival's experiential differentiation. Revenue diversification has expanded beyond the annual flagship event into the "Same Same Presents" year-round event series, including RENEW, Submerged, AHEE Bassquest, and WonkyWeen events staged across California markets including San Diego and San Francisco.

SSBD pursues a community-owned growth strategy, evidenced by its 2025 equity crowdfunding campaign on WeFunder, which converts festival fans into equity stakeholders. Distribution partnerships — notably the IndepenDANCE Pass joint-ticketing alliance with Desert Hearts, Northern Nights, and Joshua Tree festivals — extend customer reach across the independent boutique-festival segment. The company has also formalized a Vision 2029 zero-waste sustainability initiative as part of its brand positioning. Coverage from Billboard and EDM.com indicates meaningful recognition within the boutique electronic festival category.

Name

Same Same But Different

Legal name

Same Same But Different, LLC

Website

https://ssbdfest.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Same Same But Different is a California music and arts festival company operating since 2018 at Lake Perris, serving up to 7,500 attendees with tickets, camping, glamping, RV rentals, merchandise, and a year-round event series.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Festival & Live Events

NAICS

RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Campgrounds (721211), Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

National/State Park Campgrounds & Public Campgrounds (THAMAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Traditional Campgrounds (Tent & Mixed-Use) (THAMAJAB), Family & Recreation Campgrounds (Amenities/Activities Focus) (THAMAJAJ), Marina RV & Waterfront Campgrounds (THAMAJAH)

Keywords

• Music festival events
• Live music festivals
• Festival camping experiences
• Wellness festival programming
• Boutique music festivals

Headquarters

HQ city

Perris

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Multi-day festival tickets sold in tiered pricing phases (Community Tier, Phase 1 A-Z by Tier) with prices increasing at specific dates. No single-day tickets available; multi-day camping experience required.
2. Camping Passes: Up-Front Camping, Car-Camping, RV Parking with/without Hookups sold as separate add-ons to festival tickets. Free tent camping included with GA/VIP wristbands.
3. RV Rentals: RV Way Of Life is the preferred vendor for on-site RV rentals. RVs delivered and set up before festival arrival for ticket holders.
4. Glamping: Premium bell tents and ShiftPods with full-size beds, premium bedding, rugs, and A/C units. Includes private showers, lounge area, and 24/7 concierge service.
5. Merchandise: Official festival merchandise sold through Shopify storefront including apparel and goods.
6. Food & Beverage: On-site food vendors and full bars inside festival grounds. Cashless venue accepting credit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.
7. Same Same Presents Events: Year-round event series including club nights, outdoor fitness events, and holiday-themed parties (WonkyWeen) in San Diego, San Francisco, and other locations.
8. Volunteer & Wedding Services: Volunteer positions offering free/discounted tickets in exchange for work hours. Chapel of But offers wedding, vow renewal, and commitment ceremonies for additional fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Same Same But Different is an intimate multi-day music and arts camping festival held annually at Lake Perris State Recreation Area in Southern California, limited to 7,500 attendees. The core product combines five stages of eclectic live music across genres (house, bass, jam, bluegrass, acoustic) with 75+ wellness and movement workshops, art installations, on-site camping/glamping/RV options, and family programming. The company also operates year-round satellite events under "Same Same Presents" in California cities.

Product overview

Same Same But Different is an intimate music and arts festival held at Lake Perris, California, offering a unified experience combining live music across five stages with wellness activities and community programming. The core product is the multi-day festival (September 24-28, 2025 / September 25-27, 2026) with tiered ticketing (GA, VIP, Limitless) and included tent camping. Add-on modules include Glamping accommodations, RV rentals with hookups, 75+ workshops covering yoga, meditation, dance, and arts, year-round Same Same Presents events, official merchandise via Shopify, the Different Paths podcast, and equity crowdfunding investment opportunities. The festival limits attendance to 7,500 guests to maintain an intimate community atmosphere.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Music Festival Tickets Multi-day music festival admission featuring five stages with diverse genres, 75+ workshops, art installations, and required on-site camping. Sold via TIXR and Laylo ticketing platforms.
• On-Site Camping Accommodations Festival add-on camping options including Up-Front Camping near stages, Car-Camping with shower access, and RV Parking spaces with or without 30-amp power hookups. Sold separately from festival tickets.
• Glamping Premium pre-set bell tent or ShiftPod accommodation with bedding, optional A/C, private showers, private lounge area, and 24/7 concierge service for festival attendees.
• RV Rentals RV rental program through preferred vendor RV Way Of Life, with delivery and setup before festival arrival. Requires a separate RV parking pass with optional hookups, running water, and grey water dump facilities.
• Same Same Presents Year-Round Events Year-round event series produced by the festival team including club nights, outdoor fitness events, and holiday-themed parties in San Diego, San Francisco, and other California locations. Featured events include RENEW with Big Gigantic, Submerged with Maddy O'Neal, AHEE Bassquest, and WonkyWeen.
• Festival Merchandise Official festival-branded apparel and goods sold through the company's Shopify online storefront for individual consumers and attendees.
• Chapel of But Ceremony Services On-site Chapel of But offering wedding, vow renewal, and commitment ceremonies at the festival venue for additional fees.
• Equity Crowdfunding Investment Equity ownership offering through WeFunder crowdfunding platform, enabling community members and fans to purchase ownership stakes in Same Same But Different, LLC.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8,220 pounds of waste diverted from landfill (2025 festival)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RV Way Of LifecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred RV rental vendor for on-site RV delivery and setup. RVs are delivered and set up before festival arrival. Only vendor allowed to drop off RVs prior to the event. Bookings processed through vendor's system with festival-integrated checkout.
• BillboardminorOthersMajor music industry publication covering festival stories, fan ownership model features, and joint festival pass announcements.
• Nakey Island / Almost NakeycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Nakey Island - the island in the middle of Lake Perris. Features a dedicated stage with boat ferries transporting attendees from festival grounds. Additional charge for boat access. Not a nudist beach despite island name.
• Tree Planting Initiative PartnersminorOthersEnvironmental initiative partnerships supporting tree planting. Over 25,000 trees planted through supporter contributions. Part of Vision 2029 zero-waste goal.
• IndepenDANCE Pass Partner FestivalsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint ticketing partnership with Desert Hearts, Northern Nights, and Joshua Tree festivals offering cross-festival access through single pass.
• EDM.comminorOthersMusic industry publication providing festival coverage and editorial features.
• UproxxminorOthersEntertainment media outlet providing festival coverage and photography features.
• LightcodeminorOthersZero-waste initiative partner. Festival sustainability program targeting zero-waste operations by 2029.
• Lighthouse MedicalminorOthersFirst Aid Volunteer program partner providing medical staffing for festival safety.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Symbiosis Gathering: Multi-day camping festival combining electronic music, art installations, and wellness programming. Comparable business model: ticket + camping + art/wellness bundle targeting similar demographic.
• Lucidity Festival: California-based intimate camping festival with explicit focus on music, art, and holistic workshops. Comparable on community-first ethos and multi-activity programming beyond just music.
• Lightning in a Bottle: Southern California arts, music, and wellness camping festival at a lakeside venue with similar holistic programming (yoga, workshops, art). Closest direct peer on intimate-SoCal, music-plus-wellness positioning.
• Desert Hearts Festival: California-based intimate electronic music and camping festival with a strong community identity. Direct comparable as a co-marketing partner in the IndepenDANCE Pass — comparable size, audience, and SoCal indie positioning.
• Northern Nights Music Festival: Northern California music and camping festival with similar genre mix (electronic, jam, live) and intimate scale. Co-markets via the IndepenDANCE Pass and shares the community-led indie positioning.
• Joshua Tree Music Festival: Family-friendly California desert festival with multi-genre programming and camping. Direct comparable on family-friendly positioning, intimate scale, and IndepenDANCE Pass partnership.

Broad incumbents

• Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival: Massive California music and arts festival by Goldenvoice/AEG. Overlapping genre mix and camping adjacency (at sister events) but vastly larger scale — relevant as the dominant incumbent SSBD implicitly competes against.
• Burning Man Project: Iconic large-scale participatory arts event with camping and community ethos. Comparable on temporary-city-style immersive experience and intentional community design, though radically different scale.
• EDC (Insomniac Events): Mass-market electronic dance music festival with camping variants. Represents the largest commercial scale of the electronic festival market that SSBD's more intimate positioning pushes against.

Others

• WeFunder: Equity crowdfunding platform used by SSBD. Not a competitor but a relevant ecosystem enabler — comparable companies in this category are equity-crowdfunded indie festivals and live-event startups.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=Wulai9JH3F4&list=PLaL3jt5hIEFSEicW9KNqaTHcSx8NGMQ0K
• Xx.com/ssbdfest
• Facebookfacebook.com/ssbdfest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/same-same-but-different-festival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Same Same But Different