On a sunny Saturday in Los Angeles, hundreds of YA fans and BookTok creators headed to Hollywood for the closest thing to a fan festival they’ll ever get: Prime Video’s Obsessed Fest.
The inaugural event took over both sides of Hollywood’s Nya Studios, promising fans panels, content opportunities, meet-and-greets and author signings with the authors, showrunners and casts behind the streamer’s biggest YA hits, including “Off Campus,” “Overcompensating,” “The Love Hypothesis,” “Every Year After” and “Your Fault: London,” to name a few.
While panels and teases for buzzy titles like these are typically reserved for press or creators in this day and age, Obsessed Fest immediately differentiated itself as being distinctly for the fans. Tickets to the sold-out event were just $25 — which included a voucher for both a meal and a customizable tote bag filled with swag — and reserving a spot at the meet-and-greets was free.
Having the access felt like a “gift” to attendee Connor, who told TheWrap, “It doesn’t feel like it’s for profit … it just feels fun … like a way of giving back.”
Catering directly to the fans is a key part of the strategy behind Amazon MGM Studios head of global marketing Sue Kroll’s vision behind the event, and one that benefits the streamer just as much as it does the fans. “YA fandom is one of the most passionate and community-driven audiences in entertainment today,” Kroll said in a statement to TheWrap. “These fans don’t just consume stories — they build friendships around them and carry them into their everyday lives.”
And while those obsessions live on TikTok via edits and hot takes in the comment section, Kroll noted the team believes “those connections deserve to exist beyond a screen.”
“Social media is an incredible way for fans to discover one another, but there’s something uniquely powerful about bringing people together in person — to celebrate these stories, meet the creators behind them and find a sense of belonging with others who share the same passion,” she added. “Our hope is that fans leave feeling seen, celebrated and part of a community that’s even bigger than they imagined.”
Social media personality Tiff Baira served as the event’s official host, dubbing Obsessed Fest as a “judgment-free zone.” “If you’ve ever stayed up until 2 a.m. reading just one more chapter, watched an entire season in a single weekend or developed a completely healthy and normal attachment to a fictional character … you’re safe here,” Baira said. “Look around, these are your people. We’re all obsessed.”
“Overcompensating” star and creator Benito Skinner echoed Baira’s remarks as he took the stage, saying, “You can find comfort here in knowing that everyone in this room is just as obsessed, mentally ill — and I think that’s beautiful, right?”
Skinner’s appearance kicked off panels in the main stage, with “Overcompensating” cast members Wally Baram, Mary Beth Barone and Owen Thiele joining him onstage, where they teased Season 2 and revealed Zedd would be making a special appearance for a spring break episode.
They passed it over to “The Love Hypothesis” stars Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman, who shared a teaser for the film adaptation of Ali Hazelwood’s bestseller.
Programming continued on the main stage, though at any point fans could pop out to the screenings of the slate, the book club area to snag a coffee, the quad to grab a bite or the Amazon Music lounge, which even hosted a performance from “Your Fault: London” star Asha Banks. During the day, the streamer also announced a Season 2 renewal for “Every Year After,” which debuted earlier this month.
The event hit a bit of a snag ahead of the buzzy “Off Campus” panel — which fans made clear was the event they were most excited for — that closed out the day’s programming as hundreds of fans lined up to secure their seat in the mainstage audience, prompting a backup that called fire marshals in to limit venue capacities. The issue was resolved fairly swiftly, and seems to be for good reason as the mainstage stayed closed until sound check was over for a special guest prior to the “Off Campus” panel: J.Lo.
After Jennifer Lopez’s “On the Floor” moment in “Off Campus” went viral, Prime Video hosted her as she debuted her new single “Everything’s Fine” to a packed audience of fans before diving into a mashup of her biggest hits, including, of course, “On the Floor.”
The performance riled up an already eager audience to see the stars of “Off Campus” — who are in the midst of filming Season 2 in Vancouver — with cheers for the cast, including shout-outs like “Daddy Dean” for Stephen Kalyn.
To close out a packed day of programming, which extended from noon to 7:30 p.m, part of the “Off Campus” soundtrack came to life as The Beaches took the stage, thanking the “sexy little freaks” who have helped their music have such reach from the show.
The Beaches closed out the streamer’s inaugural Obsessed Fest, sending fans home with merch, books, plenty of videos to obsess over and clip on social media and, as was the streamer’s hope, an excitement about what titles are yet to come.
