Nickelodeon is extending its brand to produce the channel’s first full-on music festival, to take place over two days at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena Oct. 22-23, with the Kid Laroi and K-pop group Monsta X as the headliners and support acts including Beabadoobee, 24KGoldn, Alec Benjamin and Joshua Bassett.
General admission tickets are $115 plus fees for a single day or $175 for both. VIP tickets that include separate viewing areas and food vendors are $220 for one day or $360 for two. Tickets go on sale to the general public July 26, preceded by a pre-sale for American Express Platinum cardholders beginning this Wednesday.
The festival will include appearances by some of the channel’s non-singing stars, and “experiences” related to shows like “SpongeBob Squarepants,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and “The Loud House.” But the fest’s website emphasizes that “NickFest is first and foremost a music festival.”
Given the family-friendly nature of the channel and festival, the booking of the Kid Laroi as headliner could prove interesting, given the prevalent R-rated language in his music. Nearly every song on his debut album, “F*ck Love,” contains healthy amounts of profanity, with many also including testimonials to the benefits of Hennessy or other substances (sample lyrics: “Don’t give a fuck, let’s get drunk and then fuck, fucked up”). His between-song commentary also tends toward the salty, so whether Laroi will be asked to censor his set to make it suitable for Nickelodeon’s youngest fans — if that’s even possible, in toto — may pose an interesting question going in.
The lineup is being geared toward kids and parents, but also those that may have aged out of the channel’s core toddler-to-teen demographic but have lingering good will for the programming they grew up on. The advertising promises: “Lovers of Nick nostalgia will be in heaven. Kids will have a blast. And moms and dads will earn the most ‘cool parent’ points allowed by law. Whether you’re 5 or 105, get ready to let your Nick flag fly!”
Monsta X will headline Saturday’s show and the Kid Laroi is set to top Sunday’s bill. Other artists to be spread across three stages on the first day include Dixie, Kyle, Olivia O’Brien, Salem Ilese, Chri$tian Gate$, Prentiss, Tiffany Day (a DJ set), Boys World, Andrea Botez, DJs Amira and Kayla, Sebastian Topete, Good Newz Girls, That Girl Lay Lay and Young Dylan. The second day will bring appearances by San Holo, Tai Verdes, Joshua Bassett, Beabadoobee, LP Giobbi, Charly Jordan, G Flip, Kiiara, Little Jet, Ian Asher, 99 Goonsquad, Addison Grace, Ryan Prunty, Good Newz Girls, That Girl Lay Lay, Young Dylan and the cast of “Monster High: The Movie.”
Non-musical installations or experiences will include a slime generator, Ferris wheel, roller rink, hay maze, pumpkin patch, Halloween-themed glam station, “Ninja Turtles” obstacle course and interactive “SpongeBob” game.
From Variety US