Ground Control Touring Expands Its Festival Department

Long-running independent booking agency Ground Control Touring (GCT) has expanded its festival department, announcing Keith Richards as its first-ever Head of Festivals, and Joy Hubbard as Festivals Coordinator.

The new hires:

• Richards is a festival agent based in Nashville. Not the guitarist of The Rolling Stones.

• He brings nearly a decade of experience working across agencies, festivals and talent buying teams.

• Hubbard previously spent several years in the booking department at The Bowery Presents New York office.

• Prior they were an assistant to the Head of Concerts at the Agency for Performing Arts in Los Angeles from 2018-2020.

New branding:

• In conjunction with these hires, GCT has unveiled new branding.

• The company celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, with a roster that includes Sonic Youth, Kim Gordon, Bright Eyes, Belle and Sebastian, New Found Glory, Japanese Breakfast and more.

What they said:

• Keith Richards: “GCT already has a strong presence in the festival space, and I’m excited to join the team and help drive growth in this lane – expanding our footprint while deepening relationships across the festival ecosystem. This is an agency built by true music lovers who care deeply about creating opportunities for artists to share their work, and I feel fortunate to come alongside them to help carry that passion forward."