Why Cleveland lacks a music festival like Sonic Temple or Inkcarceration

Flashback: Kid Cudi's Moon Man's Landing Festival drew an estimated 18,000 people to the Flats West Bank in 2022 but was canceled in 2023 after, according to Cudi, the city wouldn't approve it.

• AEG Presents put on the InCuya Music Festival on Malls B and C downtown in August 2018, but poor attendance made it a one-and-done.

Zoom in: Downtown Cleveland has smaller music festivals like Brite Winter and Tri-C JazzFest that have existed for many years.

• The closest Cleveland has come to a larger mainstream event is WonderStruck. The festival, put on by the local Elevation Group, ran from 2016 to 2023 at Lakeland Community College in nearby Kirtland, Lake County.
• WonderStruck, which drew 20,000 people over two days, has been postponed since last year due to a legal battle between Elevation and its business partners.

Elsewhere, the Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival brought 75,000 people to Mansfield's Ohio State Reformatory last year.

• Columbus' hard rock-themed Sonic Temple drew more than 130,000 people to Historic Crew Stadium last year.
• Inkcarceration, Sonic Temple and Columbus' Buckeye Country Superfest each tout economic impacts of more than $10 million.

What they're saying: "I have been in the event business for nearly 40 years," Elevation president Denny Young tells Axios. "Any new event takes three to five years to build."

• "Those who are willing to be patient will do very well. Those that expect to make money in years one, two or three, and end up losing money, will pull the plug."

What's next: Young says WonderStruck is "recapitalizing" and will return in the future at a more "centrally located" place.

• "Putting on a festival in the city is more expensive with things like road closures, police, cleanup and an admissions tax," Young says. "However, if you can do twice as many people in an urban location, it may outweigh those additional costs."