Companies Align to Accelerate Venue Development, Talent Buying, Concert Promotion and Strategic Growth Across North America
Los Angeles, CA / Wilmington, NC, July 14, 2026 – Knitting Factory Entertainment (KFE), one of North America’s leading independent live entertainment companies, today announced it has acquired a minority equity stake in Wilmington, NC-based Does Entertainment, formalizing a strategic partnership between the two companies that share a vision for the future of independent live music.
The investment brings together Knitting Factory’s decades of experience in concert promotion, venue ownership, talent buying, festivals, operations, hospitality, and artist relationships with Does Entertainment’s entrepreneurial approach to venue development and guest experience. Together, the companies will pursue new growth opportunities across all these areas and more, while each entity will continue to operate independently under its own brand and local identity.
“Our relationship with Does Entertainment has demonstrated exactly what we look for in a partner,” said Morgan Margolis, CEO of Knitting Factory Entertainment. “Over the past year we’ve had the opportunity to work alongside Jared Stone, Kevin Heaton, Tom Stinchfield, and their team, and have been incredibly impressed with both their entrepreneurial spirit and operational discipline. They’ve built a remarkable company with a culture that closely aligns with ours. This investment creates a platform that can pursue opportunities neither company could achieve alone, and we see tremendous potential to grow together for years to come.”
The relationship between the companies began through Knitting Factory’s talent buying partnership with Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox in Denver, where KFE has worked closely with Does Entertainment since 2025 to strengthen programming and artist relationships.
While Ophelia’s and other venues to be announced represent the first visible collaborations, executives from both organizations emphasized that the investment creates a broader framework for future opportunities nationwide, including:
· Venue ownership and management
· Concert promotion and talent buying
· Strategic acquisitions
· Venue development and consulting
· Hospitality and food & beverage concepts
· Festival development
· Marketing and sponsorship initiatives
· Operational best practices and shared resources
· New entertainment ventures and strategic partnerships
“As independent companies, we each bring different strengths to the table,” said Jared Stone, CEO of Does Entertainment. “Knitting Factory has spent decades building one of the most respected independent entertainment companies in North America, and their relationships and operational expertise are second to none. From our first collaboration, we recognized that our cultures aligned remarkably well. This partnership gives us access to an incredible strategic partner while allowing us to keep growing Does Entertainment in the entrepreneurial way that’s made us successful.”
For Knitting Factory Entertainment, the investment reflects the company’s long-standing philosophy of partnering with exceptional entrepreneurs who share its commitment to artists, fans, and independent live entertainment. Rather than pursuing growth solely through acquisitions, KFE continues to expand by aligning with best-in-class operators who bring unique expertise, strong local relationships, and a shared vision for building sustainable entertainment businesses.
Additional information regarding programming and opening events will be announced in the coming months.
About Does Entertainment
Does Entertainment is an independent live entertainment company focused on venue ownership, concert promotion, and hospitality. The company operates unique destination venues including Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox in Denver. The company also co-created two new annual university events that took place in the spring: Death Valley Nights at Clemson University and Live Between the Hedges at University of Georgia. Known for combining creative programming with exceptional guest experiences, Does Entertainment continues to establish itself as one of the industry’s fastest-growing independent operators.
About Knitting Factory Entertainment
Founded in 1987 with a landmark venue on New York City’s Lower East Side, Knitting Factory Entertainment (KFE) has grown into one of North America’s leading independent live entertainment companies. Today, KFE is a diversified entertainment platform spanning venue ownership and management, concert promotion, talent buying, festivals, hospitality, artist management, recorded music, music publishing, media, booking, touring, and strategic investments. KFE owns, operates, manages, or partners with an extensive portfolio of venues, amphitheaters, festivals, restaurants, and entertainment businesses across the United States, including Knitting Factory Boise, Knitting Factory Spokane, The Regent Theater, Garden City Amphitheater, Wine Country Amphitheater, Pier Six Pavilion, Outlaw Field Amphitheater, Zootown Music Festival, Desert Daze, Pappy & Harriet’s, The Argo, The Pyrle, Slowdown, Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox, Elevation 27, Myth Live, Nightclub 101, Michigan Theatre, and Whiskey Creek Zócalo, among others.
Beyond live events, KFE’s portfolio includes hospitality concepts such as El Tejano, The Thirsty Merchant, CanTiki, Love Song, The District, and Boomtown Brewery; artist management through Knitting Factory Management; the acclaimed independent music label family led by Partisan Records, alongside Knitting Factory Records, Left Music, and Section1; media through Talkhouse; and booking and touring through Bravo Presents and CMoore Concerts. KFE also maintains strategic investments and partnerships with innovative companies across music, media, hospitality, and culture, continuing its nearly four-decade commitment to building artist-first businesses and delivering exceptional live entertainment experiences.
Media Contacts: PMG: +1.323.337.9042
Henry Eshelman heshelman@platformgrp.com Saeli Eshelman saeli@platformgrp.com