ABOUT

CEO & Founder Gayle Dillman
(Photo by Moonloop Photography)

The Ladybug Music Festivals, produced by Gable Music Ventures out of Wilmington, Delaware, have been the largest free celebrations of Women in Music since 2012. They take place annually in both Wilmington and Milford, Delaware - and more recently, Old Ellicott City, Maryland!

The idea started as a block-party, offering an alternative to the Firefly Music Festival that was more focused on bringing women to the forefront of the festival lineup, giving opportunity to local independent artists, boosting the local creative economy, and that was free for the community to attend. As the event grew physically and geographically to Milford, Delaware, we received several music and tourism awards, as well as a Mayoral Proclamation of Ladybug Day, by Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki! Incredibly, during the pandemic in 2020, we worked to produce an event hosted virtually over two days, featuring artists from around the globe, like Keri Hilson, Larkin Poe, KT Tunstall, Taimane, Vanessa Carlton, Larkin Poe, Eljuri, Luanna, and Kechi Okwuchi. In 2021, several smaller in-person Ladybug Festival events were planned, including a week long “Music by Women Week” and a crawl-style event along Market Street, dubbed “An Evening of Music by Women”.

Our team is now more driven than ever to make an impact for women in the music industry across the country, bringing Old Ellicott City, Maryland, their own Ladybug festival starting 2024. The Ladybug Festivals not only exclusively hire female or female-identifying fronted bands, but we do our best to hire as many women as we can for available positions on festival staff. The events now typically sees 4,000-6,000 music lovers in attendance, with 6-8 indoor and outdoor stages that include local businesses, over 30 artists, over 40 artisan, non-profit, and food vendors, and is still free thanks to our many dedicated sponsors and event partners. We can’t be more excited for what’s to come!

2023

June 2 - An estimate 4,000+ in attendance enjoyed music from over 30 artists on 7 different stages on the 400 & 500 blocks of N. Market Street, Wilmington, headlined by rising Southern Gothic star Adia Victoria. New this year, The Wilmington Whiskey Club pop up bar, the official free PRE-PARTY HAPPY HOUR at Willingtown Square and AFTER-PARTY at Stitch House Brewery, both featuring DJ Shadylady !
September 30 - Nitro Nitra headlined a stellar day of 30 performances on 7 stages in beautiful Downtown Milford, Delaware, for an estimated 4,000 fans, complete with fod trucks, vendors, and lots of ladybug wings floating around!
2022

May 20 - The Ladybug Music Festival returns to Wilmington’s 2nd & LOMA blocks with over 4,000 estimated in attendace, over 40 bands in 10 venues, and Sweet Lizzy Project headlining!
July 30 - The Milford Ladybug Music Festival returns to downtown Milford with a turnout of over 4,000 estimated, 9 stages, and over 35 acts - headlined by female latin rocker, Eljuri!
2021

March 29 – Ladybug hosts first music industry educational series J.A.M (Join. Achieve. Master.) Session virtually.
June 17 – Inaugural Mt. Cuba Ladybug Garden Crawl.
July 12-17 – Ladybug’s ‘Music by Women Week’ takes place safely during COVID pandemic with 15 acts performing 11 shows at 9 locations over six days.
September 13 – Ladybug’s ‘An Evening of Women in Music’ takes place safely during COVID pandemic with 25 artists performing at 11 locations in Downtown Wilmington
2020

Spring - Ladybug hosts Facebook Live “Mini Digital Ladybug Festivals” during beginning of COVID-19 pandemic to support local artists.
June 29 and 30 – 9th annual Ladybug Festival goes fully virtual with nationally known acts: Keri Hilson, KT Tunstall, Larkin Poe, Vanessa Carlton, Mary Lambert, Kechi, and Evie Clair, among over 40 more regional and local acts, performing over 2 days.
2019

July 18-19 - The 8th annual Wilmington event spanned two days, with over 100 performances. The Ladybugs of Soul Tribute Band was created and had their inaugural performances as the Headliner. Estimated attendance over 10,000 people
September 21 – 2nd annual Milford Ladybug Festival grows in attendance to an estimated 4,000-5,000 people
2018

June – Ladybug receives first national press from Billboard magazine.
July 20-21 – 7th annual Wilmington event hosts 100 artists over 2 days with an estimated 12,000 in attendance
September 22 – Inaugural Milford Ladybug Festival draws thousands of fans
2017

July 20 - The 6th annual Ladybug Music Festival, now presented by Chase Bank, expands to 2 days in Wilmington with an estimated 10,000 in attendance, with Larkin Poe as headliner.
Mayoral Proclomation establishing July 20th and July 21st, 2017 as the Ladybug Festial Days in Wilmington by Mayor Mike Purzycki.
2016

February - First Ladybug Mini Conference at The Queen
July 21 - Estimated 7,000 in attendance for 5th annual event headlined by Mary Lambert, Caroline Rose, Nadjah Nicole, and Rachael Sage
Ladybug logo becomes a Registered Trademark. Press from the News Journal, Best Concert Award from The Homeys, and Downtown Delaware Award for Excellence in Downtown Revitilization.
2015

March – Awarded Best Concert by WSTW Homey Awards
July 16 – 3,000 estimated attendance for 4th annual event. Also in July, first front page story in 55 hours in The News Journal, and first billboard situated in Wilmington at 4th and King St.
2014

July 17 – 1,500 in attendance for 3rd annual Ladybug Festival, first to have an outdoor stage
2013

July 18 – Thirty artists perform for 2nd annual event - estimated 600 in attendance
2012

July 19 – First Ladybug Festival, featuring twenty performers in five indoor venues on LOMA (Lower Market Street, Wilmington, DE) – Estimated 600 in attendance. Future competitor on “The Voice”, Nadjah Nicole performs.