Photo Credit: Brad
The organizers of Lollapalooza have backing from the Walton family to build out a music festival in Bentonville, AR.
The Format Festival (For Music+Art+Technology) will take place September 23-25, 2022. It will be held at the massive 250-acre Sugar Creek Airstrip around four miles northeast of downtown Bentonville. More than 50 artists are expected to perform at the 72-hour event including Rüfüs Du Sol, Phoenix, Khruangbin, Beach House, The War On Drugs, Nile Rogers & CHIC, The Flaming Lips, Jungle, and Herbie Hancock.
Austin-based production company C3 Presents are producing FORMAT with backing from the Walton family. FORMAT is presented with Bentonville partners Oz Brands, a compilation of outdoor recreation and art initiatives, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and Momentary, the museum’s satellite contemporary art space.
Oz Brands consists of several initiatives run by Runway Group, a business team led by Steuart Walton and Tom Walton. A Walton affiliate also owns the Sugar Creek airstrip property where the outdoor festival will be held.
“With FORMAT in Oz, we’ve tried to capture all the things that make Northwest Arkansas one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic ecosystems in the country – unparalleled access to outdoor recreation, accessible art everywhere you turn, and a culture of innovation as boundless and wild as the Ozark mountains,” says Olivia Walton, Crystal Bridges and Momentary Board Chair.
“We’re excited that FORMAT will help us introduce this corner of the Heartland to art and music fans from around the world,” Walton adds. There will be several stages for headline acts in addition to hidden forest areas, an open-air pavilion, a converted disco barn, and a speakeasy, all designed in collaboration with the artists and architects.
“FORMAT represents a new type of festival, placing visual and plerforming arts on the same plane as live music, creating a fluid and unified experience,” Elizabeth Edelman, Mafalda Millies, and Roya Sachs add in the press release.
“Visitors will encounter large-scale installation art and unconventional venues created by a range of internationally recognized artists, alongside an eclectic roster of musical acts. We hope to foster curiosity and discovery, and produce a memorable event on this beautiful, hidden stretch of land in Bentonville.”