Music festivals are a canvas for creativity - dynamic storytelling platforms where culture, technology, and artistry collide in real time. In this session, Ryan Cenicola, Lead Innovation Producer for Coachella, shares how festivals are evolving into worldbuilding engines - designing immersive experiences that span physical and virtual space, giving artists new tools of expression, and connecting with fans across the globe.

​From launching the world’s largest mobile AR campaign to producing the first-ever live augmented reality music broadcast, this talk explores how festivals are now functioning as living R&D labs - playgrounds for prototyping emerging tools like AI, AR, web3, and live virtual worlds. Through a behind-the-scenes look at projects across 3D worlds, mobile apps, livestream special effects, and onsite experiences, Ryan shares the frameworks and philosophies that make this work possible and what they reveal about the future of transmedia storytelling with real-world stakes.