Fruzsina Szép’s Lolla Berlin & Superbloom verdict

Goodlive’s Fruzsina Szép has reflected on an exhausting but triumphant weekend at the helm of Germany’s Lollapalooza Berlin and Superbloom festivals in an interview with IQ.

Topped by Sam Smith, The Chainsmokers, Martin Garrix, Burna Boy and Seventeen, Lollapalooza Berlin attracted 55,000 fans to Berlin’s Olympic Park, while Munich’s Superbloom drew 50,000 for the likes of Shirin David, Calvin Harris and OneRepublic. Both events ran from 7-8 September.

“We are tired, but very happy that that we succeeded,” says Szép. “Overall, we are very thankful and satisfied with both festivals. In Berlin, we had two days of absolute sunshine. And in Munich, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky on Saturday and it started to rain very slightly in the late afternoon on Sunday, but it didn’t change the atmosphere. People were celebrating and partying with a lot of emotion.”

Berlin-headquartered festival, booking and services agency Goodlive rejoined the organisation and production of Lollapalooza Berlin this year. C3 Presents, Festival Republic and Goodlive launched Lolla Berlin in 2015 with Szép part of the leadership team for the festival until 2020, when Goodlive launched Superbloom in Munich.

For the previous three years, Lolla Berlin was produced by C3 Presents and Live Nation GSA. With the latter now a majority shareholder of Goodlive, all three parties will work on the festival with Szép as festival director.

“On Saturday, I was in Berlin and on Sunday, I was in Munich, but during the whole build up week, I was between Berlin and Munich, which was just too much,” laughs Szép. “It’s always about the team. If the team is right, then the festival is bright and happy – and both teams are full of phenomenal people. It’s a gigantic puzzle and every person is a piece in that, which is why both festivals function so well.”

“It makes sense to move Lolla to the middle of the summer, when more artists are available. It’s a big move and we’ll see how it goes”

The fourth edition of Superbloom will take place on 30-31 August 2025, but Lollapalooza Berlin is switching to a midsummer date (12-13 July) for its 10th anniversary.

“It’s not easy to book the artists that we would like for the beginning of September,” explains Szép. “Many artists are finishing their tour period at the end of August so it makes sense to move Lolla to the middle of the summer, when more artists are available. Lolla Berlin has taken place in September for the last nine years, so it’s a big move and we are hopeful those dates will work well.”

Szép also shares her pride at how, after just three editions, Superbloom is already viewed as a part of Munich’s fabric.

“It’s something that is in the heads, and I hope also in the hearts of people,” she says. “I’ve heard it said many times that Superbloom is Munich, and Munich is Superbloom, and that means we have found a home, which I’m very thankful for, because it’s not easy to establish any brand nowadays and keep it going, but also become a loved brand.”

Szép puts some of that down to the festival’s inclusive approach, which is a key part of Superbloom’s philosophy. Its inclusion team also consists of employees who live with disabilities.

“Our mission was to become a very inclusive festival for people living with disabilities, and we are reaching that mission”

“Our mission was to become a very inclusive festival for people living with disabilities, and we are reaching that mission,” she notes. “I grew up with a blind father, and this year we had hundreds of disabled visitors from abroad for the first time and it was so uplifting.

“Of course, every festival has its own DNA, but I think we are creating very unique DNA at Superbloom and that makes me so proud. It also makes a gigantic difference onsite – it was a very calm festival because people were taking so much care and giving help if needed, so it’s a beautiful human reaction.”

The first batch of presale tickets for Superbloom 2025 are on presale now to loyalty customers, priced €144, whereas tickets for Lollapalooza’s 10th birthday edition can currently be purchased for €149.

“Generally, I’m a very optimistic person. It’s always important to see what went well, and where we have to make improvements or adjustments,” adds Szép. “We reached the numbers that we wanted to reach.”

And while Szép remains hopeful the wider European festival market is on the right track, she acknowledges the difficulties faced at all levels.

“The pandemic changed the industry a lot,” she finishes. “Not every festival that used to sell out before is selling out immediately now, and we have to have an eye on that. We have to curate great lineups and try to fulfil the needs and the visions of our audiences, so that they give us the trust to buy our tickets – because audiences today are more careful when deciding how much money to spend on on culture.”

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