Welcome back! Today we’re getting real personal. In an open letter from PopShift’s Director, we break down how much it costs to put on PopShift Music Festival. Are we even going to make a profit? Your guess is as good as ours, so read on lol 💸 Last but never least, let us put you on the innovative musical duo that is HYDR & PDNY. They’re on our lineup 👀 so we know you’re going to love them.

— Raghu & Rosh

How Much $$$ We’re Spending on PopShift Music Festival

An open letter from Raghu Alla, PopShift Director

When my team and I decided to throw a music festival, I didn’t exactly know what I was getting into until I was DEEP in the bullS#!T of it. From booking venues, coordinating with artists, dealing with vendors and sponsors, having to creatively market an experience that’s entirely unique – I sometimes really wonder whether I’m in the right profession altogether. Working in media + events has me feeling like…

The reality is that executing events of this scale is tough. Don’t get me wrong – we love doing it. But while everyone sees the few hours on the day of, the couple hundred Instagram stories, maybe even the glitz and glam of our recap videos – no one has yet had visual access into the months of hard labor and love we’ve poured into curating this show… until now.

Today, I want to get real and honest with you guys. We’re going to share what PopShift Music Festival presented by Toyota – three events over a span of two days – is actually going to end up costing us. Then we reckon with the hardest question: is it even going to be profitable? Let’s break it down.

May 19 – PopShift Music + Art Mixer presented by Toyota

Our opening event will feature a talented lineup of South Asian visual artists including Haf and Haf, Kavi, Suede, Tanya Gupta, Natasha, and Suhenna, as well as musicians including FINESSE., Anjali Taneja, Rishab Rikhiram Sharma, Bilaal Avaz, and KVSTabla.

Where: LAVAN CHELSEA 
When: May 19 | 6:00 PM

General Admission Ticket: $65 (Early Bird Sold Out)
Max Capacity: 300

Our Approximate Cost for the Music + Art Mixer, including Venue Rental, Projection Room, Staging and Sound + Vendor Fees, Brand Installations, and Artist Compensation, is around $30K - $40K.

This event is what we call a “loss-leader” because there is no way we can justify these costs given the revenue coming in. But we’re seeing this as an investment into what the future of the “PopShift Music Festival” experience looks like.

May 20 – PopShift Music Concert presented by Toyota

The festivities continue with a music concert. We present a strong lineup of accomplished artists paving the way for South Asian excellence in the music industry, including Jay Sean, Talwiinder, Sanjoy, HYDR x PDNY, Rhea Raj, and Zeemuffin.

Where: IRVING PLAZA, New York
When: May 20 | 5:00 PM

General Admission Ticket: $65 (Early Bird Sold Out)
Max Capacity: 1,000

Our Approximate Cost for the Music Concert, including Venue Rental, Staging and Sound + Vendor Fees, Brand Installations, Venue Decor, Photo Booth, Welcome Wall, Artist Compensation, Giveaways, and Marketing, is around $60K - $75K.

This concert is the biggest event of our weekend, so the costs do make sense here, and we potentially stand to profit if we ACTUALLY SELL OUT.

May 20 – PopShift Music Festival Official After Party

This is probably the most economically sound event of the whole weekend, and it’s also FULL PARTY mode for everyone involved. As long as our DJs and guests are cared for, we’re good to go!

Where: Elsie Rooftop
When: May 20 | 10:00 PM

General Admission Tickets: $45 (Early Bird Sold Out)

The true cost of celebrating the ½ year mark with this festival, our team, and most importantly our guests: $$$ Priceless $$$

Well, there you have it. In full transparency, the only way PopShift monetizes on any of our projects right now is through events and the sponsorships that come from them.

The main reason I wanted to be candid about this is because a) this felt like a new way for me to connect deeper with you all, b) I want to be honest and show that there’s a lot more going on behind the glamour, and c) I’m lowkey starting to feel the (happy 🫠) stress that happens when we have events on the horizon and it made me feel better to share.

Our reality right now is that we invest almost 100% of the money we make from one event back into the next, hoping our audience loves the magic of our culture enough to want to buy tickets and do it again. We do this in hopes that maybe next year, we’ll have earned enough money to do something even bigger and more exciting, then again the next year, and the year after that… you get the point.

If you f@!# with our vision and the future we’re building toward globally accessible and appreciated South Asian entertainment and media, get your tickets today and have a dope time with us in NYC.

— Raghu

Watchlist: HYDR x PDNY — An Innovative Duo

iMeet HYDR & PDNY, an innovative duo that proves music knows no boundaries. Together, these two create their own unique sound. Singing in Urdu, Punjabi, and English, HYDR & PDNY effortlessly blends their heritage across a diverse range of unlikely genres.

They released their debut collaboration track “Heeriye” in 2020. Despite it being the first song PD ever recorded, the collaboration proved serendipitous. Behind the track’s smooth saxophone and graceful guitar was an obvious musical connection.

Soon after, they released a slew of successful follow-up singles that have raked in hundreds of thousands of Spotify streams. “Aik Wari” can put you in your feels. “Dheeray” makes you want to dance.

Equally impressive is HYDR & PDNY’s lives outside of music. Pakistan-born HYDR is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in International Peace and Conflict Development. PDNY runs The Last Stop, his restaurant in the Bronx famous for its butter chicken wings.

If you want to hear the magic for yourself, you can catch HYDR & PDNY performing live together in New York City at PopShift Music Festival on May 20. Tickets are available here.

Help us expand our newsletter! We’re looking for writers and new music to share.

Other Notable News

• Hasan Raheem released a new track “You Don’t Know.”

• Ali Sethi was announced on the Austin City Limits lineup.

• The new President of the World Bank is Ajay Banga.

• President Biden named Neera Tanden as his Domestic Policy Advisor.

• Sonam Kapoor spoke at the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla.

Listen to the PopShift Playlist on Spotify.

Writers: Raghu Alla, Saumya Monga

Editors: Roshni Lalchandani, Raghu Alla