ZAOstock2026
A one-day, artist-built music festival in downtown Ellsworth, Maine. Run by The ZAO — a global, decentralized music community. Year 1: relationship over scale.
Order of priorities
That order matters. We are digital creators focused on helping musicians and other artists with distribution and support.
Independent artists at the center. The lineup is open-call, peer-curated, and built around what serves the room — not what serves a sponsor brief.
The ZAO is 100+ members across 20+ countries. ZAOstock is the global community showing up for one local town: Ellsworth, Maine. Year 1 is about relationship.
We use Farcaster, distribution platforms, and decentralized tools because they make the work easier for musicians and artists — not because they ARE the work. Tools serve the music. Always that order.
What it is
One-day outdoor festival at the Franklin Street Parklet in downtown Ellsworth. Independent + ZAO-vetted artists, multiple acts, day-into-evening. Programmed end-to-end by The ZAO community.
ZAO Festivals is our event arm. ZAOstock is the flagship. Future events inherit the equity, mailing list, and trust we build this year.
The ZAO (ZTalent Artist Organization) is a decentralized music community: 100+ members, 30+ countries, organized around fractals (weekly peer-ranked contribution rounds) and a shared treasury.
Open-call. Submission-based. Cutoff roughly one month before the event. Curated by the Music circle (DCoop + Shawn) with peer input.
Where we are
- ConfirmedTown of EllsworthVenue partner — Franklin St Parklet
- ConfirmedHeart of EllsworthLocal promotion + Maine cultural ties
- ConfirmedNew Media Commons (via Fractured Atlas)Fiscal sponsorship infrastructure for eligible initiatives
- ConfirmedENTERACTProduction + operational support
Sponsorship
Eligible support administered through New Media Commons (Fractured Atlas). Direct-deal with The ZAO.
- ·Named credit on stage banner + signage
- ·On-site booth or table space
- ·Welcome bag inclusion
- ·Live verbal credit during the event
- ·Co-presented in all printed materials
- ·Named credit on festival website
- ·Livestream overlay credit
- ·Sponsored segment + interview feature
- ·Cross-platform social campaign (Farcaster, X, Bluesky)
- ·Newsletter credit (400+ editions)
- ·Post-event thank-you feature + recap
- ·Advisory seat for Year 2 planning
- ·Priority placement in 2027
- ·Eligible support administered through New Media Commons (Fractured Atlas)
How to be involved
Submit through the open call. Cutoff is roughly one month before the event. Independent + ZAO-vetted.
Suggest an artist→$500+ across 3 tiers. Local + national both welcome. Two paths: tax-deductible (Fractured Atlas / New Media Commons + ENTERACT) or commercial (ENTERACT direct, 50% upfront / 50% before delivery).
Partner deck→Briefings, interviews, photo passes. Email zaal@thezao.com or browse our briefings.
Briefings→Year 1 commitments
- 1Show up locally. Meet the city, the venue, the music scene. Roddy at City Hall, Steve Peer in the basement.
- 2Take care of the artists. Fair pay, real promo, real community. Open-call lineup, peer curation.
- 3Document everything. Public log. Build in public.
- 4Don't overscale. Capacity the venue + city are happy with. Year 2 earns the right to grow.
Contact
- Site: zaostock.com
- Farcaster: /thezao
- X: @thezao_