Event app development

Custom apps for festivals and event brands.

Phico designs and builds custom iOS and Android apps for festivals and event brands that come back every season. Lineups, tickets and passes, check-in, content and commerce come together in one branded app that people keep between editions. Projects start at $25,000, most cost $50,000 to $125,000, and launch in two to four months.

What it can include

Everything around the event, in one app.

Lineup, schedule and maps

Event pages with schedules, artists or athletes, venues, maps, hotels and sponsors, updated by your team without a new app release.

Tickets, passes and check-in

Ticket purchase in the app or through your ticketing provider, passes in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, and QR check-in at the door or at partner venues.

Live updates on the day

Push notifications for set times, changes and announcements, and livestream links for people who can't be there.

Content between editions

Video, news and moments from past editions, so people have a reason to open the app before the next event is announced.

Shop, partners and perks

Merchandise through Shopify, partner offers and member benefits, under one account.

Tools for your team

An admin area to publish events and content, and organizer tools when several partners run events on your platform.

Case study

Jackalope: an action sports festival brand in one app.

Jackalope runs action sports festivals across North America. Its audience came for the events, the video, the merchandise and the athletes, spread across websites, social platforms and a separate shop.

The app brings it together. Festival pages carry schedules, athletes, rankings, maps, hotels, sponsors and livestreams, next to a video hub, a Shopify shop with member pricing and an account with a member QR code. It's live on the App Store and Google Play.

The next version is built around the JACKALOPE Pass, an annual membership with check-in at partner venues through a wallet pass, partner perks and community content. It gives people a reason to stay connected between festivals.

Read the Jackalope case study

The Jackalope app on two phones, showing the Ventura festival on the home screen.

Oneforone: premium events, booked in the app

Event discovery, a short booking flow, video from past events and tools for organizers. After the relaunch, conversion rose by about 50% and people spent around three times longer in the app.

ADN de México: a monthly live event, with an app in between

One live session a month for paying members, and an app that keeps them engaged until the next one with an on-demand library and notifications.

Event platform or custom app

A white-label event app, or one of your own?

Event app platforms like Whova, Cvent or Swapcard work well for conferences that need an agenda for a few days. A festival or event brand that comes back every year usually needs something that lasts longer than the event.

An event app platform is probably enough if

You run a single conference or a one-off event.
The app is mainly an agenda, speaker list and floor plan.
Your budget is per event, not for a product you keep.
Being in the App Store under your own name isn't important.

A custom app makes sense when

Your events come back every year or every season, often in several cities.
Your brand matters as much as the lineup.
You sell more than tickets, such as merchandise, passes, memberships or experiences.
The app has to connect to systems you already run, like Shopify or your ticketing provider.
You want a direct line to your audience between events, not only during them.

Selling memberships or season passes too? See how I approach membership apps.

Wondering what it would cost? See what an app costs and why.

Questions

About event apps.

How much does a custom event app cost?

From $25,000. Most event and festival apps for established brands cost between $50,000 and $125,000, at a fixed price for the agreed scope. The price depends mostly on ticketing, passes and check-in, commerce, and which systems the app connects to.

How long does it take to build?

Around two to four months. From defining the first version to launch on the App Store and Google Play. If the app has to be ready for a specific edition, we plan backwards from that date and leave time for store approvals and testing.

Can it work with our ticketing provider?

Usually, yes. If your provider offers an API for tickets, orders and attendees, the app can show tickets and handle check-in with it. If it doesn't, ticket sales can stay where they are and the app links to them. We check what your provider allows in the first conversation.

What happens to the app between events?

That's where most of the value is. An app that only holds a schedule gets deleted after the weekend. Content from past editions, announcements, a shop, passes and member perks give people a reason to keep it, so your next edition starts with an audience you can reach directly.

What about weak signal at the venue?

We plan for it. Schedules, maps and passes can be stored on the phone so they open without a connection, and wallet passes work offline by design.

Who will I be working with?

With me, directly. Phico is founder-led. I shape the product with you, build the app and the systems behind it, and work with trusted design collaborators when needed.

Start a conversation

Let's talk about the app you're imagining.

A clear vision or a feeling that your business is ready for something more is a good place to start. We'll explore what it could look like, what it would take and whether Phico is the right fit.

Prefer to see an idea first? Get a free app concept.