Huntsville’s never had something like quite like South Star Music Festival. Produced by Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo vets C3 Presents, set for September 29 and 29 at John Hunt Park, South Star will be the biggest weekend of live music in Huntsville history, with a lineup boasting the likes of Gwen Stefani, blink-182, Beck, Jane’s Addiction, Ludacris, Big Boi, Sublime, TLC and others.

Back in the day, Big Spring Jam brought an array of acts to Huntsville during that fest’s 1993 to 2011 run. The Jam was big fun. Marque bookings over the decades ranged from Al Green and Allman Brothers to Destiny’s Child and Foo Fighters to Wilco and a very young Taylor Swift. Those lineups each year were heavy on regional, local and club-level national acts though.

South Star is stars-heavy. Just a handful of bands, including Nashville alt-rock upstarts Belly and Shoals talents Billy Allen + The Pollies, in the 20-artist lineup aren’t household names or close to it. All killer, no filler. And the ticket prices reflect that. Weekend passes were $12.50 for the first Big Spring Jam in ‘93 versus $224 and up for South Star’s 2024 debut. Different times, different economics, too.

Like Orion Amphitheater, Mars Music Hall and the Music Ambassador Program, a city initiative that pays local musicians to tour, South Star is pushing Huntsville towards becoming a legitimate music city, a goal that seemed far-fetched not long ago.

Tickets for the inaugural South Star are reportedly selling fast. Still, given the easy-come, easy-go nature of the live-music business, it’s worth looking at Huntsville’s agreement with C3.

According to Huntsville communication director Kelly Schrimsher, the city’s contract with C3 is for three years. The deliverables on the contract include South Star Music Festival be at least two days, and that it be held on the last Saturday in September or the weekend before Austin City Limits Festival in Texas.

C3 is responsible for funding all expenses related to South Star. The City of Huntsville is required to provide matching funds for marketing the festival at up to $200,000 year for first year and $100,000 for years two and three. Those marketing fund come from the city’s Economic Development Fund, Schrimsher says via email.

The city’s responsible for providing the site (John Hunt Park), emergency services (police, fire, medical) and “adequate utilities,” including internet and cell services.

In addition to booking the festival, C3 pays the artists’ guarantees, the fees artists are paid to play South Star. Per the agreement with the city, $3 of each ticket sold will go towards Friends of Huntsville Parks and Recreation, a nonprofit “for the continued advancement of park and recreation facilities in Huntsville.”

The city’s agreement tasks C3 “to create a similar music festival” as ACL and Lollapalooza, with an “anticipated capacity of 30,000,” per Huntsville’s director of urban and economic development, Shane Davis.

In an email, Davis adds, “In working on a music festival, Huntsville wanted to partner with a group that primarily produces large, signature festivals. In doing so, we also wanted a partner that could develop a branded festival that would be recognized nationally long term. This format allowed for a partnership, rather than a contractual obligation of specific terms (specific genre, stages, ticket packages, etc.).”

And what does Huntsville hope for in return for its investment on South Star?

Schrimsher says, “We are confident South Star Festival will be successful and that will be measured in multiple ways. Elevating Huntsville’s visibility as a music city and what it generates for our music economy, bringing new people to the community, generating food, beverage and lodging, attracting more companies to locate here, attracting more families to move here, attracting students to go to school here, and on and on.”

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