How Boutique Music Festivals Are Building Community

As the music festival season heats up, star acts like Green Day, Metallica, Lady Gaga and Fall Out Boy will take the stage. While Coachella and Stagecoach have held most of the attention, a quieter boutique collection of festivals are attracting a growing number of younger fans opting for more unique, curated and affordable music experiences.

According to Eventbrite, 84% of millennials attend music festivals to escape the daily grind, and 80% of millennial music fans are more likely to attend a show or festival that features artists they believe are affecting positive change. And a Splice x MIDiA Sounds of 2025 report shows that record labels are investing in genre-led scenes, not just sounds. The more touch points that artists and fans have to connect over, the more loyalty grows.

As demand for smaller music festivals grows, the curated hospitality of these experiences is bumping tourism and economic growth in host communities. And artists of all genres face an opportunity to connect with more engaged audiences and carve a niche foothold in the festival music world.

Fans are taking in bluegrass and folk music at MerleFest, country and indie tunes at Suwannee Hulaween and beach vibes at BeachLife Festival. The High Water Festival in Charleston is in its seventh year this April 26-27 spotlighting more than 15 acts across two stages and no overlapping sets. The curated festival mixes music, food and craft libations from local and regional eateries. There is also festival and artist merch sold on site.

The 2025 High Water lineup features headliners Arcade Fire and Lord Huron alongside Mt. Joy, Counting Crows, The Backseat Lovers, Trampled By Turtles, Amos Lee, Flipturn, Julien Baker and Torres, Waxahatchee, Joy Oladokun, The War and Treaty, Medium Build, Wild Rivers, Evan Honer, Gigi Perez, Darren Kiely, Goldie Boutilier, Easy Honey and Ethan Tasch. Fans can sign up for pre-sale access to one or two-day tickets. Seating offers a variety of VIP options, and a portion of each ticket sold will benefit charities in the North Charleston area.

Ted Heinig, festival director of High Water Festival, says, “Our whole team works really hard year-round to deliver a great artist line up and experience. We want the artists to have an incredible experience, and we want the fans to have one of the best weekends of their year. If we accomplish that, that’s success.”

In its fourth year since a pandemic pause, High Water draws attendees that Heinig describes as “real music fans seeking a cool mix of new with historic bands.” He considers the primary focus for any successful boutique festival to be a diverse artist lineup through the entire bill, one that defines a brand.

“High Water is branded as an elevated experience for those bigger music fans who like Mt. Joy, Arcade Fire and a great act like Counting Crows. That’s what really sets us apart, and we take that elevated experience and offer a VIP experience in a beautiful setting along Riverfront Park.”

According to a March 2024 “Live Nation: High Water Music Festival 2023 Economic ​Impact ​Study​” ​by AngelouEconomics, the festival is a significant annual driver for Charleston’s economy. In 2023, High Water Music Festival had 15,000 music fans per day for two days and more than 20 music acts from around the world. The event generated a total of $45.4 million to the Charleston economy, equalling 363 full time job equivalents hired or sustained.

​Younger festival goers are also seeking music experiences that give back. High Water benefits The Green Heart Project​ building garden-based experiential learning projects and school garden programs that educate students and connect and cultivate community through the process of growing and sharing food.

​Singer Drew Holcomb of Drew Holcomb ​and The Neighbors​ ​i​s a veteran performer ​at High Water, and says, “The highly curated, genre​-rich boutique festivals like High Water have become the gold standard for artists and fans alike.”

​Charities​ and non-profits ​p​artnering with High Water Fest​ival ​on shared values and mission include Charleston Waterkeeper, Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Health Arts in Healing and Fresh Future Farm.