The Future is Bright for Best Friends Forever Fest: 

Best Friends Forever Fest (BFFs) took over Downtown Las Vegas Oct. 11-13. I spoke with Faye Barnhurst, one of the festival’s main coordinators, about the process and future of BFFs. 

As soon as the festival was announced, I was ecstatic about the line-up. I was curious about the timeline of the process and how long BFFs had been in the stars for S&S. She explained that the festival had been in the works for about a year and a half, with bookings starting over a year in advance. Barnhurst said, “Curating is one of my favorite parts of my job. Creating a lineup that is cohesive, but still special and surprising and fresh is so exciting for me,” She continued. “It's so fun to connect the dots between all the artists.”

The best part was each band having anniversaries and big breaks during the year leading up to the festival. 

Being the presenters and creators of Kilby Block Party (KBP), Utah’s largest music festival, the booking team for S&S had foresight they could draw from, allowing them to curate a phenomenal lineup for BFFs. Barnhurst also commented on the teams' efforts in bringing things to life. “As a booking team, we are very lucky to have an amazing production and operations team that can make our crazy ideas come to life.”

While these efforts are admirable and value a system of ease, there were still some troubles. Bright Eyes, the initial headliner for the final day of the festival, announced a cancellation on short notice for the festival curators. “We were down to the wire to find a replacement. Within an hour, we confirmed a new headliner, updated artwork and announced the update! This is something that usually takes weeks.” Barnhurst said. For someone who isn’t familiar with things like this, this is the most impressive aspect of programming BFFs.

“We are very lucky we were able to find a replacement so close to the festival, and one that was so special and fitting.”

As an attendee of the festival, and having gone to many other shows and festivals presented by S&S, I wanted to know more about what it looks like to be a part of the team. Barnhurst shared that her team starts outside the box. Very big ideas come from this group – which is a given, looking at previous shows S&S has produced. 

“Will and I work closely together when booking KBP and BFF. He always has these big ideas like, ‘Why don't we ask this band that hasn't played in 15 years to headline?’ And sometimes it works! That's how this entire festival came to be,” Barnhurst said.

She continued, explaining this team’s passion for music and creating once-in-a-lifetime events like this. I’d agree that something like BFFs can only come from the hearts of a fan. “Artist and customer experience is a huge priority for us … We didn't have any overlapping sets so that fans could see every artist play,” Barnhurst said. “A project like this could only come from a group of genuine fans of the music.”

Throughout the weekend, I was stunned by the personality and air created by attendees and bands at the festival. I had the opportunity to chat with several bands who, themselves, were ecstatic to have been a part of this festival. A few bands even shouted out that it was the best festival they’d played. This sentiment had me curious about the future of BFFs, as they’ve already announced the festival will return in 2025.

“BFF is a very special festival. Seeing so many old bands and old friends reunite together was really magical,” Barnhurst said. “You could feel the sense of mutual respect, appreciation, and genuine nostalgia among the artists. It's our goal to carry on this sentiment in future years.”

You can stay updated on BFFs 2025 here. See you next year!