We are BROOKLYN

Built community through discovery.

Northside Media catalyzed Brooklyn's creative community and brought it to the world — building an unprecedented ecosystem of festivals, publications, food conferences, and outdoor film that defined a borough and launched a cultural movement.

15 Years
400+ Bands per festival
100k Festival attendees
50+ Brooklyn venues
The L Magazine launch, 2003 SummerScreen at McCarren Park Northside Festival Northside Media Group BAM Partnership Northside 2014

Our Story

2003
The L Magazine launches from a one-bedroom apartment. A boxing match at Gleason's Gym against NY Press ends in a draw — later fictionalized on HBO's Bored to Death.
2006
SummerScreen begins in McCarren Park with a screening of Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing. A Brooklyn summer institution is born.
2009
Northside Festival debuts. Registration in a back room booked 12 hours earlier, no air conditioning. Within a few years it would grow to 400+ bands across 50+ venues.
2011
Brooklyn Magazine launches as a glossy quarterly. First cover: Michael Pitt. The L Magazine reaches circulation of 106,600.
2012
Northside Media Group officially established. Publishing partnership with Brooklyn Academy of Music begins.
2013
Taste Talks launches — curated by April Bloomfield. The festival adds its innovation/tech component, NExT. Solange and The Walkmen headline Northside.
2014
Expansion year. Taste Talks goes to Chicago. Brooklyn Briefly newsletter launches. War on Drugs and Beirut headline the festival.
2015
Northside Media acquired by Zealot Networks. Run the Jewels, Built to Spill, and Neko Case headline the festival. Taste Talks curated by Questlove.
2016
Brian Wilson performs Pet Sounds in its entirety at McCarren Park for the album's 50th anniversary. Grandmaster Flash. Kacey Musgraves. Taste Talks expands to LA, curated by Kelis.
2018
The 10th and final Northside Festival. A decade of discovery. Liz Phair, Deerhoof, Soccer Mommy, Snail Mail — the next wave.
2024
Brooklyn Magazine acquired by BSE Global — parent company of the Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty, and Barclays Center, owned by Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai. The legacy continues.

Our Brands

Northside Festival Northside Festival Northside Innovation Meetup Northside Innovation Taste Talks Taste Talks Brooklyn Magazine Brooklyn Magazine SummerScreen SummerScreen Culture Network Culture Network Brooklyn Briefly Brooklyn Briefly
Brian Wilson at McCarren Park, Northside Festival 2016

Northside Festival 2009–2018

Brooklyn's discovery festival. What began with 50 bands in a back room booked 12 hours before opening grew into 400+ artists across 50+ venues in Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Bushwick. Reuters called it "the SXSW of the East Coast."

Beirut · Solange · War on Drugs · Run the Jewels · Brian Wilson · Grandmaster Flash · Sharon Van Etten · Kamasi Washington · CHVRCHES · Mac DeMarco · Courtney Barnett · Dirty Projectors · Vince Staples · Liz Phair · Soccer Mommy · Snail Mail

2009
The inaugural year. ~50 acts. Registration in the backroom of an art gallery booked 12 hours before.
The Hold Steady, Sunset Rubdown, The Dodos, The Tallest Man on Earth, Sharon Van Etten, Screaming Females, Asobi Seksu
2010
30+ venues. $50 badges. Tame Impala's North American debut.
Liars, Fucked Up, Les Savy Fav, Tame Impala (North American debut), Titus Andronicus, Wavves, Real Estate, Cults, Cloud Nothings, The Fiery Furnaces, Au Revoir Simone, Twin Sister
2011
250+ bands. First McCarren Park outdoor headliners. Iceage US debut. Deer Tick played as "Deervana."
Beirut (McCarren Park), Guided by Voices, Wavves, Sharon Van Etten, Surfer Blood, Theophilus London, Mount Eerie, Iceage, Eleanor Friedberger
2012
350+ bands. 50 Kent debuts as 7,000-cap venue. GZA performed Liquid Swords in full backed by Grupo Fantasma.
GZA, of Montreal, Jens Lekman, Tinariwen, The Thermals, Ceremony, Starfucker, Kool Keith, Deafheaven, Beach Fossils, Cold Cave
2013
~350 bands. NExT innovation component added. Chance the Rapper's first NYC show at Europa. Solange's first festival headline — a career-defining moment at McCarren Park. The Walkmen near their final shows before hiatus.
The Walkmen (McCarren Park), Solange (McCarren Park), Black Flag, Swans, Mac DeMarco, Questlove, Iceage, Phosphorescent, Chelsea Wolfe, Chance the Rapper
2014
400+ bands across 50+ venues. Largest ever. Shamir's live debut. War on Drugs played the Northside offices before headlining 50 Kent fresh off Lost in the Dream. Glasslands and Death by Audio in their final months.
War on Drugs, Beirut, CHVRCHES (free McCarren Park), Sharon Van Etten, Courtney Barnett, Titus Andronicus, Talib Kweli, Perfect Pussy, Pharmakon, Alvvays, Shamir, BADBADNOTGOOD
2015
350+ artists. Pusha T at House of Vans. Sun Ra Arkestra at Rough Trade. Mitski played the Northside offices before her breakout. Princess Nokia early in her career.
Run the Jewels + Sleigh Bells + Vince Staples, Neko Case, Best Coast, Built to Spill, Against Me!, Blonde Redhead, Pusha T, DJ Premier, Mitski, Princess Nokia, Sun Ra Arkestra, Rhye
2016
400+ performers. The Pet Sounds night. Brian Wilson performed it in full for the 50th anniversary. Wolf Parade reunited.
Brian Wilson (Pet Sounds in full), Wolf Parade (reunion), Kacey Musgraves, Conor Oberst, Grandmaster Flash, Sunflower Bean, Hinds, King Khan & the Shrines, Diet Cig
2017
300+ bands, 34 venues. $75 badges. Thursday reunited. Lower Dens performed ABBA's Gold in full. Mary Timony played Helium.
Miguel (McCarren Park), Dirty Projectors, Kamasi Washington, Thursday, Big Thief, Julia Holter, Jlin, William Basinski, PUP, Jeff Rosenstock, Vagabon
2018
The 10th and final festival. No McCarren Park outdoor shows for the first time. Liz Phair performed Exile in Guyville in full for its 25th anniversary. Parquet Courts played on a boat.
Liz Phair + Soccer Mommy, Snail Mail (sold out), Protomartyr, Deerhoof, La Luz, Parquet Courts (boat cruise), Jeff Parker, Makaya McCraven, Irreversible Entanglements, Lou Barlow, Pissed Jeans
SummerScreen outdoor film screening at McCarren Park

SummerScreen 2006–2018

Free outdoor film and live music every Wednesday night in McCarren Park. 4,000+ people per screening, watching cult classics under the stars. Rolling Stone called it "the coolest venue in the country." Music curated by legendary Brooklyn promoter Todd P.

Back to the Future · The Big Lebowski · Clueless · Heathers · Mean Girls · Die Hard · Jurassic Park · When Harry Met Sally · Zoolander · Do the Right Thing

2006
Inaugural season at McCarren Park Pool.
Do the Right Thing, Bottle Rocket, The French Connection, The Swimmer, Dog Day Afternoon, Style Wars
2007
Bring It On, Night of the Hunter, Dazed and Confused, Ladies and Gentlemen the Fabulous Stains, Repo Man, Three Kings, Bonnie and Clyde, Purple Rain
2008
Rushmore, The Virgin Suicides, Wet Hot American Summer, Desperately Seeking Susan, Mean Streets, 28 Days Later, Velvet Goldmine, Blue Velvet
2009
Reality Bites, Evil Dead 2, 24 Hour Party People, Wild at Heart, Fame, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2010
Say Anything, Labyrinth, Romeo + Juliet, Dead Man, Starship Troopers, Point Break
2011
Presented by The L Magazine and EPIX.
Friday, Wayne's World, Ghost World, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Clueless, Jurassic Park
2012
Cruel Intentions, Raising Arizona, Dirty Dancing, The Princess Bride, Top Gun, Audience Choice: Empire Records
2013
Can't Hardly Wait, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, The Craft, The Goonies, Speed, The NeverEnding Story
Bands: Jeffrey Lewis, Oberhofer, Ratking, Amen Dunes
2014
Back to the Future, Zoolander, Cry-Baby, Heathers, The Big Lebowski, Spice World
Music by Todd P: Tonstartssbandht, The Dreebs, Ratking, Princess Nokia, GOASTT (Sean Lennon), Man Forever, Kleenex Girl Wonder, Eartheater
2015
10th anniversary — "Greatest Hits" of SummerScreen.
Clueless, Wet Hot American Summer, Dirty Dancing, Dazed and Confused, Jurassic Park
2016
Scream, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, The Fast and the Furious, 10 Things I Hate About You, The Royal Tenenbaums
Bands: Juliana Huxtable, LVL UP, Cotillion
2017
"So Fetch."
Mean Girls, Office Space, Donnie Darko, Selena, I Know What You Did Last Summer
Bands: Yucky Duster, Gobbinjr
2018
Final season. Longest ever — 8 screenings.
Jawbreaker, When Harry Met Sally, Love & Basketball, Hackers, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Die Hard
Solange on the cover of Brooklyn Magazine

Brooklyn Magazine 2011–present

Launched as a glossy quarterly with Michael Pitt on the first cover. Defined Brooklyn as a cultural brand worthy of its own media ecosystem. Created the influential "100 Most Influential People in Brooklyn Culture" list. Now owned by BSE Global and still publishing.

Brooklyn Magazine - Michael Pitt cover Brooklyn Magazine - Solange cover Brooklyn Magazine - Emily Mortimer cover Brooklyn Magazine - Olivia Thirlby cover Brooklyn Magazine - Theophilus London cover Brooklyn Magazine - Alek Wek cover Brooklyn Magazine cover Brooklyn Magazine cover Brooklyn Magazine - Michael Pitt cover Brooklyn Magazine - Solange cover Brooklyn Magazine - Emily Mortimer cover Brooklyn Magazine - Olivia Thirlby cover Brooklyn Magazine - Theophilus London cover Brooklyn Magazine - Alek Wek cover Brooklyn Magazine cover Brooklyn Magazine cover
Taste Talks BBQ event

Taste Talks 2013–2017

"Food and Culture. Not just Foodie Culture." A national food festival expanding from Brooklyn to Chicago, LA, and Miami. 3,000+ guests annually. Curated by April Bloomfield, Questlove, Danny Bowien, and Kelis. Action Bronson debuted "Fuck That's Delicious" at the 2014 edition.

2013
Brooklyn. Curator: April Bloomfield (The Spotted Pig). All-Star Cookout at East River State Park. Cook It Raw Brooklyn brought international chefs.
Dan Barber, Mario Batali, Wylie Dufresne, Questlove, Andrew Tarlow, The Mast Brothers
2014
Brooklyn + Chicago (first expansion). Curators: Danny Bowien (BK), Paul Kahan (CHI). Action Bronson debuted "Fuck, That's Delicious." Future Food Expo launched.
Mario Batali, Christina Tosi, Dale Talde, Andy Ricker, Action Bronson, Alex Guarnaschelli, Amanda Hesser, Sam Sifton (NYT), Adam Rapoport (Bon Appétit), Stephanie Izard (CHI), Matty Matheson (CHI)
2015
Brooklyn. Curator: Questlove. George Takei appeared at the BBQ. Kellogg's Cereal Throwdown won by Sam Mason.
Dominique Ansel, Matty Matheson, Marco Canora, Leah Cohen, Alex Stupak, Lea DeLaria, Andy Ricker
2016
Brooklyn + Chicago + LA (inaugural). The Tastys awards launch at BAM. Curators: Sean Brock (BK), Jason Hammel (CHI), Kelis (LA). Glenn Kotche (Wilco) multi-sensory dinner in Chicago. Mo Rocca hosted The Tastys.
Wylie Dufresne, Gabrielle Hamilton, Christina Tosi, Danny Bowien, Curtis Stone, Kris Yenbamroong, Brooke Williamson
2017
Four cities: Brooklyn, Chicago, LA, Miami. Curator: Wylie Dufresne. The Tastys at The Weylin, hosted by Matty Matheson. Winners: Blue Hill at Stone Barns (Outstanding Restaurant), Samin Nosrat's Salt Fat Acid Heat (Best Cookbook), Impossible Foods (Best Startup), Lucky Peach (Best Magazine), Eater (Best Online Media).
Dan Barber, Floyd Cardoz, Andrew Carmellini, Greg Baxtrom (Olmsted)
Northside Innovation panel

Northside Innovation

The NExT component of the festival brought together Brooklyn's tech and creative communities. Speakers included Mayor Bill de Blasio, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Piper Kerman, Ian Schrager, and Kickstarter CEO Yancey Strickler. 300+ speakers annually.

BAMbill program cover

The Culture Network

Custom publishing for Brooklyn's premier arts institutions — Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAMbill), The Joyce Theater, and Playwrights Horizons. Connecting young, educated audiences with the performing arts.

Brooklyn Briefly 2014

The essential daily Brooklyn news briefing. A curated newsletter delivering what mattered in the borough, every morning.

What They Said

“The only ones to have figured out how to stage a music festival that doesn't seem to contradict the city.”

New York Magazine

“The SXSW of the East Coast.”

Reuters

“Northside Festival is the event we look to for what's new, what's cool, and what's seriously about to explode.”

Refinery29

“It's unbelievable that Brooklyn's Northside Festival is just four years old.”

Village Voice

“A multivalent cultural carnival.”

Wall Street Journal

“A beacon of hope for up-and-coming and established bands.”

Complex
New York Times Wall Street Journal Vogue Japan Forbes Fast Company TechCrunch Billboard Pitchfork SPIN

The Poster Archive

10 years of show posters. “Cool, creative, crazy, wonky, and flat out weird.” — Brooklyn Magazine

The Founders

Northside Media was built by brothers Daniel Stedman and Scott Stedman, alongside a community of editors, writers, artists, promoters, and volunteers who believed Brooklyn's creative scene deserved its own platform. None of it was one person — it was a collective effort that grew from a one-bedroom apartment into something much bigger than anyone planned.

Daniel Stedman

Filmmaker, publisher, cultural curator. Teddy Award winner at the Berlin International Film Festival. Speaker at CES and SXSW. Cultural curator for the Dutch, Swiss, and German Consulates and Soho House. Now founder and CEO of Pressto AI.

daniel@danielstedman.com danielstedman.com

Scott Stedman

Publisher, writer, and the other half of the equation. Scott helped build every brand in the Northside portfolio from the ground up — from the L Magazine's first issue to the festival's final year.

For speaking, consulting, or cultural programming inquiries:

Get in Touch

The Photo Library

Festivals, screenings, food, parties, and everything in between.