Sofar Sounds

This just in: “Sofar, which serves people new artists without the intervention of an algorithm, has all the undeniable elements of cool: underground artists, exclusivity, and leaving the house. …a movement is building to get people off their phones for even just an evening, and people are flocking to companies that provide opportunities for in-person connection.”—‘Offline is the new luxury’; Business Insider https://lnkd.in/ee2_7Uks

Sofar FRINGE made its Shoreditch debut last month. It was our first-ever multi-venue indoor festival, replete with secret sets, 95+ artists, and packed rooms across unconventional spaces, all at accessible prices. We set out to reimagine the festival experience around community, discovery, and comfort—and the response was electric. Highlights: - Music, comedy, dance, spoken word, talks, and a Singles Power Hour - An all-Queer curation hosted in a radical bookstore - Community care front and center with CALM and Self Space Social - Shoreditch spaces brought to life: Town Hall’s Council Chamber, Shoreditch Treehouse, The Common Press, D’Stassi Art, Gigi’s Hoxton, Bread & Butter Lounge, 83 Rivington, and more Thank you to the artists, crews, partners, venues, and audiences who made the inaugural Fringe feel like London at its best. See you next year. Photos courtesy of GROOVE MAGAZINE

Scaling to 400 cities without a standardized playbook sounds impossible. Sofar Sounds proved it's not. When Kaz Komolafe joined as VP of Experiences, she inherited a business that started with living room concerts in North East London and somehow expanded to 78 countries. But here's what makes their approach unusual: they deliberately avoid standardization. In our latest Future of Consumer Marketing episode, Kaz reveals how they built systems that enable hyperlocal authenticity at global scale. Spoken word performances pack venues in London but barely exist in Edinburgh. Latin American markets feature primarily Spanish-language artists. Each of their 400 cities looks completely different. The strategy hinges on finding the right local leader in each market. Someone embedded in the arts scene who understands cultural nuances. Then giving them real autonomy to curate experiences. But autonomy without guardrails creates chaos. So Sofar built two quality control mechanisms that don't require centralized approval. First, an extensive YouTube library that shows local leaders what "good" looks like. It's both their artist discovery platform and their quality benchmark. Second, audience feedback data on every single performance that surfaces when coaching is needed. Kaz also walks through their transition from grassroots community to working with Universal Music and major brands. Their activation with O2 Telecom took 100 people to the Scottish Highlands for a livestreamed festival. The key was integrating the brand naturally into a culturally resonant experience rather than forcing product placement. One insight that challenged conventional wisdom: they've never prioritized growth at all costs. No massive performance marketing budgets masking weak fundamentals. Just sustainable economics that force authentic community building. Want to learn how they use data to enable distributed decision-making, why trading operational efficiency for cultural relevance pays off, and the onboarding systems that help local leaders succeed? 🎧 Listen to the full episode (link in the comments)

From lofts to town halls: we turned Shoreditch into a sonic map — here’s how Sofar Fringe rewrote the rules of festival, courtesy of GROOVE MAGAZINE: https://lnkd.in/eBmZyzU8

Our founder Rafe Offer on the Sofar origin story with Tara Keeney...

With one night to go til our inaugural festival, hear from Francesca Jackson, the mind behind this concept, on why this felt like the right next step for Sofar Sounds. If you haven't already got your spot saved, we opened up some last minute tickets here: sofarfringe.uk

In a world of endless swipes, curated profiles, and algorithmic matchmaking, genuine human connection can feel harder than ever to find. Our second panel at Sofar Fringe will be chaired by Creative Producer Nasya and join Wendy Robinson (Campaign Against Living Miserably - CALM), Jodie Cariss (Self Space) and Ben Bradley (the Council of Bens) for an exploration of what it really means to belong in the digital age. This talk unpacks the evolving landscape of connection, the search for community, and the deep human need to feel seen. From ghosting to group chats, we're asking the big question, how do we find our people when the rules keep changing?

We’re hiring! 🎶 Sofar Sounds is looking for a NYC-based Manager, Social Media Marketing to help shape our global social presence and support our local markets. We’re looking for someone who’s both a strategist and a creator — someone who loves building community through live experiences, from music and spoken word to dance and beyond. If that sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you. 👉 Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eD_sXNc5

Grassroots venues are vanishing. Artists are burning out. Algorithms are gatekeeping culture. But, we’re fighting back, and live events are more important than ever. At Sofar's inaugural festival this Saturday, amongst our 100 act line up, we invite you to join us for a raw, urgent conversation chaired by Sofar Sounds's founder Rafe Offer. With some of Sofar’s closest artists and industry disrupters, we dig into what the live events landscape looks like today. Panel: Louise Paley (Women in Jazz), Xidus Pain, The Halfway Kid (Saeed Gadir)

Looking to elevate your company holiday celebration? Craving something different for your staff holiday party? Forget generic playlists and uninspired spaces. We have the perfect end of year sign off for your teams ☃️ Drop us a line for: 🎶 Live music tailored to your team (no more awkward office DJs) 🏙️ Distinctive venues in your city (because no one has ever bonded over spreadsheets) ❄️ A festive fiesta your team will be talking about for years to come Email privateevents@sofarsounds.com to secure your private holiday event today.