A new venue, a new era: The Collective's Flower Moon Festival is upgrading to the Observatory

Illustrations courtesy of The Collective

For its fourth rendition, student-run music festival Flower Moon will move from its typical venue, the Garden Amp, to the Observatory. A location infamous to many music lovers here at Chapman University, with booked artists such as Nettspend, Laufey and Zach Fox.

The Collective, the Chapman club behind Flower Moon, scored a co-promotion deal with Live Nation. 

This arrangement lets both the festival and venue split the costs and earnings from tickets, while each brings their own fans to boost attendance.

The festival showcases both established artists and emerging talent from Chapman University and the local music scene.

Leadership at The Collective sat down with The Panther to discuss the festival's evolution, decision-making and their vision for its future.

"The Collective is just a music and arts organization here on campus, and we really just aim to highlight the entire music and arts community, whether it's Chapman or local Orange County artists or local LA artists," said Melissa Lysiak, sophomore business administration major, and co-president of The Collective. "We really just try and create a space where people can express, exhibit and sell their art to kind of just support the community."

From our interview, what stood out was the transformative journey from a small venue to partnering with Live Nation at the Observatory. This change came after challenges with their previous venue prompted the team to explore new options.

This year's lineup features headliners indie musician Marlon Funaki, who recently toured with Palace, and rock band Junior Varsity, who have been performing across both coasts. The festival also features Wilt and Chokecherry, who Jackson Feldman, sophomore data science major and co-president of The Collective, describes as "headliner adjacent," alongside Chapman artists including Where's West, Ruby Ow and Goose Chase.

While the previous iteration featured up to 75% Chapman native talent, 2024’s consisted of 12 out of 16 artists being Chapman students and alumni, this year's lineup showcases about 30% Chapman artists, three among its 10 performance slots. 

Part of this decision came from the stage shrink from three stages to two stages due to the venue change. The team describes this shift as strategic, creating opportunities for student musicians to share the stage with established artists.

"Allowing Chapman artists to be on the same stage of such high-caliber talent, we're setting a precedent for something that's going to affect their careers in a unique way," Feldman said. "While we're absolutely here for the students as their first priority, allowing them to share the stage with people who can — you never know what could happen, whether it's like (a music professional) says to one of our Chapman artists, 'hey, I want to bring you on tour.'"

A partnership with the Observatory represents more than just a venue change, it signals the festival's evolution into a more professional production. This incredible deal comes with great responsibility, as The Collective shifts away from being completely student-focused to merging itself with music professionals and the rules and regulations that come with it.

"This is a culmination of all arts and music at Chapman," said Cordelia McKenna, senior communication studies major and co-president of The Collective. "It's fully student-run. It's this year in collaboration with Live Nation. So while a product of the students and the DIY community, it has its hand with professional agencies, entertainment promoters, the big dog, so to speak."

The Collective has revolutionized its marketing approach this year, creating distinctive branding that captures attention across campus and beyond. Their team, led by Alana Sharp, sophomore creative writing major, Serena Hakemy, sophomore business administration major, and Megan Avery, freshman theatre major, has implemented creative strategies like their spin-off of NPR's Tiny Desk called "Tiny Dorm," featuring intimate performances with festival artists. 

The team has also pursued unconventional partnerships, including a limited-edition drink collaboration with Contra Coffee and Tea, extending their reach beyond traditional promotional channels.

Despite the changes, the organization remains committed to their community-first approach.

"Everything we do is for the community," said Lysiak. "We're trying to take the scale up so high, higher than we've imagined this year. And I think it's going to have some growing pains, but ultimately, everything we do is for the community."

The Collective team hints that this year will be the most ambitious Flower Moon yet, encouraging the Chapman community to experience what they've created.

For ticket information to the 2025 Flower Moon Festival at the Observatory, visit this link. To avoid fees, catch The Collective’s tabling in the piazza!