The Revolution Rock Festival, set to take place outdoors at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, has just been canceled. Headliners for the weekend of September 8-9 included Five Finger Death Punch, Shinedown, and A Day to Remember. The reasoning for the cancellation of the festival is unclear- a statement issued by the organizers simply noted “circumstances beyond their control”, and that they hoped to return with a better festival in 2018.
The cancellation adds to what appears to be a clear trend of failed festivals this summer, following Karoondinha in Pennsylvania, Pemberton in Vancouver, and Fort Fest in Bedfordshire, England. Low ticket sales were the reasoning behind Karoondinha and Fort Fest, according to Alternative Press, and The Seattle Times reported that Pemberton filed for bankruptcy. Ticket-holders for this festival got the worst deal; on top of the disappointment fans felt for missing out on their favorite artists, they were also told the PMF had no ability to issue refunds for purchased tickets.
Another festival in England- Hope and Glory in Liverpool, was actually cancelled mid-weekend, apparently due to overcrowding. Manchester Evening News reported that attendees waited for hours to enter the venue and that “families were demanding refunds for the long waits and overcrowding which meant many were unable to access toilets and food and drinks facilities when inside the venue”.
But of course, all of these cancellations pale in comparison to the disastrous destination music event, Fyre Festival, which resulted in stranded attendees in unsafe conditions and a criminal charge against the festival’s founder.
So why can’t music festivals get it together? Could the cancellation of Revolution Rock be due to low ticket sales because fans fear for another mishap, or even the same fear from organizers who’d rather be safe than sorry? Whatever the case, it’s clear that it has been a rough summer for the festival crowd. Organizers need to do some serious re-structuring to fit the needs of fans and artists alike in order to make music festivals a fun, safe, and comfortable experience for everyone.
Those with tickets to Revolution Rock Festival can visit their website, www.revolutionrockfestival.com, for refund details.
