Freelance Pop Culture Events Producer & Promoter

Chicago, IL1-3 years

Born in a London flat in 2009, Sofar Sounds began as an answer to a growing problem: live music had lost its magic. It blossomed into a global movement that kept music at its heart while expanding to comedy, singles, dance, and more, all connected by Sofar’s renowned track record for discovering rising talent.

Countless mainstage performers like Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Leon Bridges, Olivia Dean, YEBBA, Teddy Swims, Remi Wolf, Hozier, and Lola Young have played Sofar shows early in their careers. More than just a gig, Sofar empowers artists by providing a professional platform, handling everything from booking and promotion to filling the room, while granting artists access to an ecosystem of opportunities including brand partnerships, a powerful content engine, and global media placements.

No two Sofar shows are the same, but each pairs world-class live performance with unique spaces; from a hidden museum room, to private living rooms, gardens, and rooftops. Regardless of the setting, each Sofar experience is an invitation to be truly present. To learn more: www.sofar.com, @sofarsounds.

The Role

As a Freelance Pop Culture Events Producer, you’ll conceptualize, curate, produce, and promote Sofar experiences inspired by the cultural moments, fandoms, and media obsessions shaping the world right now. From artist singalongs and film-themed performances to immersive events built around iconic franchises, viral trends, award shows, or major releases, you’ll create experiences that tap into the passions of highly-engaged fan communities.

Our Pop Culture Producers are trend-hungry and culturally fluent. You’re constantly tracking what people are streaming, quoting, celebrating, or sharing across music, film, TV, internet culture, viral moments, and nostalgia cycles. You instinctively know which moments will resonate and which fandoms will actually sell tickets. You’re creative enough to transform those cultural touchpoints into unique formats – live-scored screenings, themed performance nights, community watch-alongs, singalongs, or unexpected experiential twists – and strategic enough to reach the fanbases that will show up for them.

Like all Sofar Producers, you’re entrepreneurial and resourceful – whether you’re rolling out a concept tied to a global phenomenon, jumping on a viral trend, or bringing a local cultural moment to life.

This is an entrepreneurial, independent role designed for self-starters who want meaningful ownership over how Sofar shows up in their local community. The role encompasses event planning and curation, marketing and promotion, and event execution. You'll be supported by Sofar's Global Communities team and have access to training, resources, and opportunities to connect with other producers around the world.

If that sounds up your alley, we can't wait to meet you!

*Please note that this is a freelance, commission-based partnership, not a traditional employment role, offering flexibility and ownership in exchange for accountability and initiative. While the schedule is self-directed, much of the work naturally happens during evenings and weekends, when live events and community engagement come to life.

What You'll Do

Launch and grow Sofar’s pop culture programming in your city: producing, promoting, and selling tickets using creative, self-directed local marketing tactics.
Conceptualize and produce events inspired by global and national cultural touchpoints: iconic artists, film premieres, award shows, album drops, viral memes, nostalgia moments, fan trends, franchise anniversaries, and more.
Tap into fandoms of all sizes (massive global communities or niche subcultures) and develop experiences that feel timely, exciting, and culturally relevant.
Identify trending moments, upcoming releases, creator-driven movements, or internet phenomena that can be turned into compelling ticketed experiences.
Promote events strategically by reaching the right audiences – leveraging fan groups, online communities, content creators, niche social channels, and cultural micro-communities.
Build relationships with performers, venues, creative partners, fan communities, creators, and local organizations aligned with your event themes.
Collaborate with other Producers in your city to align on event cadence, neighborhoods, and cross-promotional opportunities.
Work closely with the Global Communities team to uphold Sofar’s standards, share insights, and shape pop culture programming more broadly.
Own the atmosphere and guest experience, ensuring every event feels immersive, on-theme, and rooted in hospitality.
Support financial performance by tracking profitability and contributing to the sustainable growth of the city’s pop culture vertical.
Identify sponsorship or co-promotion opportunities tied to event themes – whether connected to global releases, awards-season moments, or internet-driven hype cycles.
Contribute to Sofar’s broader programming ecosystem through cross-genre ideas, such as pop culture x music integrations, film-inspired performances, and multi-sensory experiences.

Who You Are

You have 1-3 years of experience in event production, pop culture or fandom-driven programming, community building, experiential marketing, social media marketing, promotions, and/or partnerships.
You’re plugged into global and national pop culture – music releases, film/TV premieres, fandom trends, viral moments, nostalgia waves, creator culture, internet micro-communities, and what’s about to peak.
You know how to evaluate what will actually sell: what fans care about, what communities mobilize, and which cultural moments have ticketable potential.
You’ve participated in or produced pop culture-centric experiences (themed nights, singalongs, screenings, fan events, watch parties, viral trend activations, etc.) and have a sense for what feels authentic.
You’re adaptable, reflective, and feedback-driven, continually interrogating what works, what doesn’t, and why. You’re open to criticism, curious about perspectives beyond your own, and attentive to how different genders, identities, and orientations might experience the same event.
You maintain a growing network of performers, creators, venues, or fan community connectors you can collaborate with.
You’re commercially minded and understand how to turn cultural heat into real-world attendance, excitement, and shareable moments.
You excel at reaching niche fanbases and know how to speak their language across social platforms, subcultures, and community-specific marketing channels.
You’re confident pitching thematic concepts and partnership opportunities, ideally with experience in sponsorships or collaborative activations.
You bring creativity, ownership, and hospitality to every partner, performer, guest, and touchpoint.
You’re organized, efficient, and a clear communicator (written and verbal), capable of managing multiple ideas and timelines at once.
You thrive in flexible, self-directed environments while staying deeply collaborative with your Sofar teammates and fellow Producers.

Additional Details:

Some cities may already have active Producers or multiple roles available. You must be comfortable working alongside other Producers and collaborating as part of a shared market, particularly in larger cities with multiple neighborhoods or vertical expansion opportunities.

Autonomy and support: You will lead locally while accessing global resources, training, and support from the Sofar team.

Our global Sofar team is deeply passionate about music and the work we do. When we’re not working, you can probably find us at a live show or telling anyone in earshot about the new song we can’t stop listening to.

If our mission and job opening resonates, you're encouraged to apply even if your experience doesn't precisely match the job description. We are committed to creating a culture of belonging and building a diverse team that reflects a variety of lived experiences, perspectives, and skills.

Freelance Pop Culture Events Producer & Promoter

The Role

What You'll Do

Who You Are

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