Same Same But Different has become one of the first festivals on the planet to offer fan ownership and recently surpassed $690,000 in community funding via WeFunder.
The waters have been anything but calm in the festival landscape, and it’s been even more turbulent for independent promoters seeking to bring unique experiences to the masses. Many of these independent festivals have been placed on hiatus or called it quits entirely in recent years, yet others, like Same Same But Different, have taken a different path to achieve sustainability.
Initially, Same Same But Different teamed up with other independent promoters to launch a multi-festival pass for those on the hunt for their next festival fix. That wasn’t the only idea they had last year, as after their sold-out edition at Lake Perris, SSBD announced a WeFunder campaign to bring the community even closer together and help the festival scale to new heights.
With this new campaign, Same Same But Different became one of the first music festivals in the world to give fans equity ownership. The response was enormous, with the WeFunder campaign surpassing $690,000 in total community investment. Those seeking long-term equity in SSBD could invest between $100 and $50,000, with $10,000 being the most popular tier, in exchange for perks such as lifetime passes. These raised funds will support festival upgrades, experience expansions, and year-round programming development as Same Same But Different enters its next era.
We’ve always said this festival was built by the community. Now, that’s literally true. To have over $690K raised from fans who believe in the long-term vision of SSBD is something we’re deeply proud of — and incredibly energized by.
Brad Sweet, SSBD co-founder
Same Same But Different is slated to return to Lake Perris on September 25-28. Stay tuned for additional updates from the festival, including this year’s lineup, ticketing details, and more.