As experiential events ramp up in beauty, Sally Beauty is introducing a signature play of its own.

As part of a wider, monthlong Colorfest campaign meant to emphasize the beauty retailer’s strengths in hair and nail color, Sally Beauty will host an inaugural Colorfest pop-up at The Grove in Los Angeles on March 14.

With participation from more than a dozen brands — including Wella, Good Dye Young, Nailboo, Dashing Diva, Eva NYC, Arctic Fox and the retailer’s private-label brands — the event is part of Sally Beauty’s strategy to go “from a beauty supply store to a specialty retailer,” said chief marketing officer Chris Kobus. “This will be something that consumers can look forward to from Sally Beauty every year.”

Currently, the Colorfest campaign and event are slated to happen twice a year — in March and then again in late summer, both periods when Sally Beauty sees its highest color product sales. Activations at the event include a color analysis station; a meet-and-greet with curly hair expert and influencer Bianca Renee; consultations with Sally Beauty experts; photo opportunities, and a gift bag valued at more than $100, while supplies last.

The event, expected to draw 5,000 people, is free to attend and will run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. PST.

“Colorfest is a very own-able opportunity for Sally Beauty,” said Kobus, adding that the Texas-based retailer carries more than 1,400 nail products and 1,300 shades of hair color, with the latter being Sally Beauty’s number-one category.

The Colorfest event comes as fellow beauty retailers Sephora and Ulta Beauty ramp up respective bets on experiential events. In 2018, Sephora launched Sephoria, a ticketed festival featuring brand booths, masterclasses and more. The event made a postpandemic in-person comeback in 2023 in New York, and has since traveled to Atlanta, Paris, Shanghai and beyond.

Ulta hosted its first Ulta Beauty World consumer event last April in San Antonio, similarly bringing beauty brands and pros together for an immersive “beauty playground,” as Ulta chief marketing officer Kelly Mahoney described it at the time. The second iteration of the event will take place next month in Orlando.

Colorfest is more elaborate than Sally Beauty’s past pop-ups, but not as high-production as Sephoria or Ulta Beauty World, which both charge for entry (in 2025, Ulta Beauty World tickets went for $160, while tickets to Sephoria’s latest iteration, also taking place in L.A. this month, are $180 for general admission and $465 for VIP).

“We believe in everybody celebrating Colorfest; we don’t want a barrier of cost to get in the way of that,” said Kobus.

Sally Beauty operates 2,400 stores in the U.S., 38 of which have been redesigned via the retailer’s “Sally Ignited” store refresh plan involving a more breathable, curated shopping experience. Last year, the retailer added fragrance to its assortment for the first time with brands like Sabrina Carpenter’s Sweet Tooth; Good Chemistry, Solinotes and more.

Color sales, meanwhile, grew 7 percent at Sally Beauty during its fourth quarter ended Sept. 30, helped by the retailer’s addition of Uber Eats to its partner list.

“All of these different pieces are catalysts for the acceleration of our brand going forward,” Kobus said.