In an industry where women hold just 13% of executive roles and are routinely overlooked in decision-making rooms, Laila Fakhoury is carving out space for Florida's creative scene. As the co-founder of Big: Culture & Arts Festival, the independent record label Dion Dia, and the community hub How Bazar, she's become one of the most vital forces connecting Florida's creative underground! She is a community visionary and I had the opportunity to interview her in order to celebrate the work she has done for Women's History Month.
The story began at the University of Florida, where Laila met her business partner, Jahi. Bonding over a shared vision of social change through creativity, the two alongside Jahi’s brother Khary, launched Dion Dia, a record label designed to use music and art as tools for community building. Early projects included recording programs for incarcerated individuals and hosting events rooted in hip-hop and street culture. Her human-first approach to community building is what built a name for her around the Gainesville, Florida area.
When the pandemic arrived her and Jahi were faced with a rethinking of how to serve their communities – thus How Bazar was born. How Bazar is a physical "third place" where people could connect beyond work and home. After months of being at home people yearned for face-to-face connection even if it had to be distanced. Laila noticed the joy created by How Bazar attendees and the idea of a festival budded soon after! The festival followed in 2023, after Zack Fox co-signed the vision and gave them the confidence to go all in.
Now the festival enters its fourth year, Big CAF has become what many are calling one of the best independent lineups of 2026.
More Than a Music Festival
Laila is intentional about the festival's full name: Big: Culture & Arts Festival. It's not just about who's performing [ although the musical acts are widely adored ] it's about creating space for where culture breeds. The festival is set to include film screenings from Florida filmmakers, group art shows with live artists, fashion shows curated by Florida-based designers, Skillshare sessions teaching crafts like sewing and pottery, and decompression spaces for attendees to practice breathwork.
"We didn't want to be pigeonholed as only a music festival," Laila explained. The goal is to introduce attendees to "a completely new world."
As a future attendee and appreciator of music festivals it has been inspiring to see Laila lead such a venture with so much love and care; a way of execution largely done by woman. Women in live music and festival production remain drastically underrepresented! From booking agents to stage managers to the executives greenlighting headliners, women in this industry are underrepresented and underappreciated when they occupy these spaces. Laila's presence in this scene matters. Her approach of leading with love, respect of the arts and the people you are surrounded by is what sets her apart from the rest.
She admits the team has considered stopping every year. But the fulfillment of watching people find their community keeps them going. "Seeing people enjoy the event and find their people," she said, is what makes it worth it.
Laila and her team understand that festivals don't exist in isolation. Dion Dia, How Bazar, the Downtown Market Series, and the Bazar À La Carte night market [which now hosts 120 vendors and draws thousands of attendees] all feed into one another. The night market has even expanded into a statewide tour, connecting creatives across Florida's notoriously disconnected regions and drawing them into this central hub for April's festival.
In February of 2026 the BIG team dropped the festival line-up and it included names like Earl Sweatshirt, Mavi, Liv.e, and 137 others! The response to this lineup was overwhelmingly positive! Laila describes 2026 as "surreal.” The breakthrough year she and her team had been dreaming of and working toward, arrived sooner than expected.
For a Florida-based creative bringing scenes to a state often overlooked by the broader industry, the recognition felt “powerful” she said with reflective eyes.
She left me with the reminder that while this conversation may have been with her , it took many hands to make this festival come to life. "It's a collaborative, creative effort," she said. "A significant community lift, involving many people pouring their dedication into it."
Laila's work stands as a reminder that representation isn't just about who's on stage but it's about who's shaping what the stage looks like in the first place!
Learn more about big and purchase tickets here: https://bigcaf.com/
Interview and Words by Jocedotcom
