Yesterday, AEG Presents announced that it has acquired Red Frog Events‘ remaining ownership shares for Delaware’s Firefly Music Festival, an event they have co-produced with Red Frog Events since 2014. The move makes AEG Presents the sole owner of the festival, held annually at The Woodlands of Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware.

Notes the Delaware Business Times,

As part of the acquisition of shares formerly held by Red Frog Events, a Chicago-based event company, AEG Presents will also take over the promotion and production of the festival, which has hosted entertainers such as Chance the Rapper, Eminem, Foo Fighters, Mumford and Sons, Muse, Paul McCartney and Tom Petty since its 2012 launch. 

As part of the acquisition deal, several longtime core members of the Firefly team have joined AEG, including festival director and co-founder Stephanie Mezzano. Notes Mezzano in a statement,

We have developed a strong relationship with AEG Presents over the past several years and I am thrilled to officially join the AEG Presents team, along with several members of the group that has built the festival since day one. We now have the opportunity to push Firefly in exciting ways and to work more closely with the best in the business. 

“From day one, we have always believed that Firefly is one of North America’s most special festivals,” said Melissa Ormond, COO, Festivals, AEG Presents in a statement. “Combined with the full commitment of AEG Presents’ resources, including an unrivaled production team committed exclusively to festivals, there is no doubt that the best is yet to come for the Firefly Music Festival.”

The most recent edition of Firefly took place in June and featured performances from Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Arctic Monkeys, The Killers, ODESZA, Lil Wayne, Logic, Martin Garrix, GZA, Alt-J, Portugal. The Man, Foster The People, MGMT, Mike D (DJ Set), Big Gigantic, Jimmy Eat World, Chromeo, Cold War Kids, Warren G, Royal Blood, Spafford, and many more. You can check out a gallery of photos from Firefly Music Festival 2018 here.

[H/T Billboard]