Delaware’s Firefly teams up with Coachella creator

Dover’s Firefly Music Festival has often been compared to California’s Coachella, now organizers of both festivals are teaming up.

An estimated crowd of about 80,000 attended Firefly in June, and organizers hope to see next year’s number go even higher after signing a deal with the music promotion firm Goldenvoice.

Goldenvoice created the immensely popular West Coast music festival Coachella, as well as the country music-focused Stagecoach. The company is a part of AEG Live, a massive concert and sports promoter that owns stadiums like the Staples Center in Los Angeles and sports franchises including the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings.

“We are so excited to be working with the Goldenvoice team,” said Joe Reynolds, founder and CEO of Red Frog Events which created Firefly. “This partnership will continue to propel the success of Firefly for years to come.”

Firefly has signed a ten year deal to host the festival at the Woodlands section of property owned by Dover International Speedway.

“We’re so impressed with what they’ve created in such a short time,” said Paul Tollett, president and CEO of Goldenvoice. “How could we not want to be a part of it?”

The festival has seen a big increase in attendance since it was first held in 2012. That first year, 30,000 people attended. Attendance more than doubled in 2013, with 65,000 in attendance. This summer, an estimated crowd of 80,000 attended the festival, spurred in part by an expanded four-day schedule and some enlarged fields at several stages.

Early bird tickets for the 2015 event have already sold out, even though no acts have been announced.