Berklee Artists Take Center Stage at Top Music Festivals
This summer and fall, the Berklee Popular Music Institute (BPMI) is sending eight up-and-coming artists from Berklee College of Music to perform at nine popular music festivals across the United States and Europe. These performances are the culmination of BPMI Live, a one-year course that guides students through every step from the classroom to the stage, providing critical training for a career in live music, whether as a performer or an industry professional.
Throughout the academic year, BPMI Live students reviewed hundreds of artist submissions and narrowed the field based on recordings, videos, live performances, and social media presence. The A&R group also took into account each artist’s musical style for genre-specific festivals, such as Inkcarceration, which focuses on metal, and Country Jam.
2025 BPMI Artists
- Park National(Opens in a new window), known for its fusion of indie rock, Midwest emo, and punk, will perform at the Great Escape in Brighton, England, May 14–17.
- Alt-rap trio Glasshouse(Opens in a new window) will appear at the Governors Ball in New York City, June 6–8.
- Ringpop!(Opens in a new window) will bring its high-energy pop-punk sound to Vans Warped Tour in Washington, DC, June 14–15, as well as Long Beach, California, July 26–27.
- Australian honky-tonk artist Ryan Mead(Opens in a new window) will be featured at Country Jam in Mack, Colorado, June 26–28.
- Metalcore band Archon Theory(Opens in a new window) will bring the noise to Inkcarceration in Mansfield, Ohio, July 18–20.
- Singer-songwriter Jesse Detor(Opens in a new window) will play at Lollapalooza in Chicago, Illinois, July 31–August 3.
- Folk-pop duo Axel and Lolo(Opens in a new window) will take the stage at Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville, Kentucky, September 11–14.
- Folk-rock band Dipsea Flower(Opens in a new window) will close out the season at Soundside Music Festival in Bridgeport, Connecticut, September 27–28.
All featured artists performed at BPMI's 23nd annual showcase at Brighton Music Hall earlier this spring.
While most Berklee classes take place over the course of one semester, BPMI Live runs on a three-semester, full-year cycle. In the fall semester, the class selects the artists for the festivals and splits up into management teams. In the spring, students work on artist development, marketing, digital presence, budgets, merchandise, sponsorships, and advancing their assigned festival, in addition to organizing a spring musical showcase at a local venue. For the final semester, during the summer and early fall, teams rehearse with the artists to prepare them for the festival stage—a vastly different experience from a club show—and accompany them to each festival to handle on-site promotion, production, and tour management.
“It’s amazing to see all of the students’ and artists' hard work pay off as we prepare for a busy summer and fall season with nine unique festivals around the world,” said Morgan Milardo, artistic and managing director for BPMI. “This course is so important for both artists and business students as they learn to navigate the concerts and touring industry and better understand the significance touring makes on an artist’s career. This season will be a unique learning experience for all of the students, filled with exciting performances that only come as a result of hard work and dedication. I’m also incredibly grateful for our industry partners at Live Nation, Danny Wimmer Presents, and C3 Presents, and our generous donors and board members, who help make the BPMI experience a reality.”