Electric Zoo Lawsuit 2023: Festival Sparks Legal Action
Following the disastrous 2023 Electric Zoo festival, plagued by supply chain issues and capacity limits, two attendees, Nicole Brockmole and Lauren Bair, have taken legal action against the event's organizers. This class action lawsuit seeks redress for the "nightmare endured by thousands of electronic music fans."
The Allegations
The lawsuit alleges a range of deceptive practices on the part of the festival organizers. Among the claims made in the lawsuit are:
1. False Representation of Event Date
The organizers purported that Electric Zoo would proceed as scheduled on Friday, September 1, 2023. However, this promise was not upheld, leaving attendees frustrated and disappointed.
2. Lack of Necessary Resources
It is asserted that the festival lacked essential equipment, materials, supplies, vendors, labor, and personnel to handle various aspects of the event, including stage setup, seating arrangements, bathrooms, and concessions.
3. Compliance with Inspections and Regulations
The lawsuit suggests that Electric Zoo failed to pass inspections and tests conducted by city authorities and other regulatory bodies. Additionally, it alleges that the festival did not secure all the required permits and approvals.
4. Overselling Tickets
Attendees were assured that Electric Zoo would not be oversold or exceed its capacity limits. However, this turned out to be untrue, leading to overcrowding and chaos.
5. Violation of Safety Codes
The lawsuit contends that Electric Zoo's crowd control measures violated New York City fire codes and other safety regulations applicable to concerts and festivals.
6. Access Denied
Many ticket holders were left unable to attend or access the festival, despite possessing valid tickets. This caused considerable distress among the festival-goers.
Behind the Cancellation
Electric Zoo's troubles began when organizers canceled the festival's first day just three hours before it was scheduled to commence. They cited "global supply chain disruptions" as the reason for their inability to complete the main stage construction on time. While refunds were promised, it was later revealed that the organizers' delayed preparation was the real culprit, a claim referenced in the class action lawsuit.
It's worth noting that in 2022, the festival had changed hands, with an investment group that operates Brooklyn venues Avant Gardner and Brooklyn Mirage purchasing it for $15 million.
Saturday at Electric Zoo proceeded relatively incident-free, aside from a delayed start. However, disaster struck again on Sunday when approximately 7,000 festival-goers, most of whom held valid tickets, were denied entry as the venue reached its capacity limit by midday.
"In addition to Friday’s cancellation, and perhaps more egregiously, things turned worse for Electric Zoo fans on Sunday when they were left to languish in a heatwave for hours after being greeted by never-ending lines to enter the festival and eventually denied entry because the venue was oversold and overcrowded," the lawsuit states.
The 2023 Electric Zoo festival was meant to be a celebration of electronic music, but it turned into a nightmare for thousands of attendees. The class action lawsuit filed by Nicole Brockmole and Lauren Bair highlights a series of alleged deceptive acts by the festival organizers. As the legal battle unfolds, it remains to be seen how the festival, its organizers, and the ticket-holders will ultimately find resolution.
