Boomtown has promoted Toby Gwazdacz to the newly created role of managing director, as the team prepares for an expanded edition of the event next year.

Gwazdacz (pictured) joined Boomtown as commercial director in 2022, having previously been head of rights & partnerships at Vision Nine for six years. In the new role, he will work alongside Boomtown co-founders Luke Mitchell and Chris Rutherford to drive the long-term vision and future growth of the event.

On the back of the Hampshire festival’s licensed capacity being grown from 65,999 to 76,999, Mitchell recently outlined details of a ‘radical redesign’ of the event, including a focus on a broader attendee demographic and on a wider range of music genres.

Mitchell said Gwazdacz has been instrumental in shaping the festival’s recent evolution: “His leadership, and ability to seamlessly connect the commercial and cultural sides of the festival have elevated what we’re capable of. This new structure allows us to focus on the next era of Boomtown while knowing the organisation is in exceptionally strong hands.”

“Over the past four years, Toby has helped guide Boomtown through some of our most ambitious moves yet,” said Rutherford.

With 12 main stages, and more than 50 ‘hidden venues’, along with thousands of performers, Boomtown, which is part owned by Live Nation, will take place on 12-16 August at Matterley Bowl in Hampshire. Headliners include Kneecap, Scissor Sisters, Madness, Skrillex, Four Tet and Faithless.

On his promotion to MD, Gwazdacz said, “Boomtown is the ultimate immersive experience, and that is why our loyal community returns and word spreads to new citizens each year. We have carefully navigated the evolution from our underground roots to becoming a major player in the UK festival calendar, and whilst the success of the festival increases, so does our scope for boundless creativity.

“The strong growth we’ve achieved over the last four years has created the foundation for me to now take a broader strategic focus across the organisation of Boomtown. I am incredibly excited for the future and where our team’s ambitions and innovations will take us next.”

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