The 2025 Treefort Music Fest in Boise achieved its highest financial performance since the festival’s inception in 2012, marking a return to profitability for the first time since 2019. According to a report by the Idaho Policy Institute in collaboration with the festival organizers, the five-day event contributed $15.8 million to the regional economy and generated approximately $1.4 million in combined local and federal tax revenue. n nVanessa Fry, a professor at Boise State University’s School of Public Service and lead author of the report, noted that the festival directly supported nearly 130 jobs, with associated labor income totaling $4.7 million. She emphasized that local service industries and small businesses saw the most significant benefits from the influx of visitors. n nApproximately 47% of attendees traveled from outside the region, contributing more than half of the total economic impact through spending on accommodations, dining, and transportation. This external draw underscores the festival’s growing role as a regional economic driver. n nAfter facing financial challenges during the pandemic and increased operational costs following its relocation to Julia Davis Park in 2023, the 2025 edition successfully aligned attendance with venue capacity. Festival Director Eric Gilbert noted that attendance rose by about 20% compared to previous years, allowing the event to achieve financial sustainability while leaving room for cautious future expansion. n nThe results reflect not only a recovery from earlier setbacks but also a milestone in the festival’s evolution as a major cultural and economic asset for downtown Boise. n— news from Boise State Public Radiorn
— News Original —n2025 Treefort Music Fest recorded highest profits, crowds, economic impact n nThis year’s Treefort turned a profit for the first time since 2019. The economic impact of the five-day spring music festival in downtown Boise is also on the rise. n nA report released by the Idaho Policy Institute in partnership with Treefort Music Fest estimates the 2025 event injected $15.8 million into the economy and generated about $1.4 million in local and federal taxes. n n“Not only is this the first year in a while that they’ve been in the black, but economically they’re having a really positive impact on both the region and the state as a whole,” said professor Vanessa Fry at the Boise State University School of Public service and author of the report. n n“There are just under 130 jobs that were directly supported by Treefort, and the labor income associated with those jobs is about $4.7 million,” she said, adding service industry workers and local businesses benefited the most from this boost. “So that’s a pretty good amount of economic impact that we wouldn’t see without Treefort being here.” n nFry said about 47% of attendees are out-of-towners who spend more on hotels, transportation and food. n n“Those people that we are drawing into the region are going to be responsible for more than half the economic impact of the fest,” she said. n nThe festival was profitable for the first time since the pandemic, helping backfill the losses from the pandemic era and the increase in costs that came with the event’s move to Julia Davis park in 2023. n n“We actually finally got the attendance caught up to the size of the park. And so there’s room for growth, but not too much more,” said Director Eric Gilbert. n nThis year’s festival saw a roughly 20% increase in attendance. It was also the highest grossing festival since it started in 2012.