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Last September, just hours before the massive, three-day electronic music festival Electric Zoo was set to begin, the first day of festivities was canceled. The second two days went on as planned—sort of. The venue reached capacity earlier than expected on the final day of the festival, turning ticket-holders away from the gates.
Now, 10 months later, the festival has posted on social media for the first time, offering apologies and details about how to get a refund.
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The team behind Electric Zoo posted that they "know it has been some time since our last communication and we sincerely apologize for the delay. You deserve answers, and we are now able to provide you with an update."
See Tickets, the exclusive ticketing provider for Electric Zoo 2023, is set begin issuing refunds to all remaining eligible ticket holders.
Who's eligible for a refund?
If you're eligible, you'll be contacted via email, per Electric Zoo's post. That email will contain additional instructions so you can get a refund processed by July 19, 2024.
Specifically, the following ticket holders are eligible:
1. If you had a single or multi-day ticket for Friday, September 1, 2023, and have not filed a dispute/chargeback, nor previously received a face-value refund (100% for Friday single-day ticket holders; 50% for two-day ticket holders and 33% for three-day ticket holders).
2. If you had a single or multi-day ticket for Sunday, September 3, 2023, and were unable to access the event (as determined by entry scan data), and have not filed a dispute/chargeback, nor previously received a face-value refund (100% for Sunday single day ticket holders; 50% for two-day ticket holders and 33% for three-day ticket holders).
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What do fans think?
Fans are, unsurprisingly, not thrilled.
Musician 3LAU replied to the festival's post on Instagram saying, "It’s been 9 months since the festival this is absurd. Def never playing again if it even survives (doubtful)." A fan wrote, "They’re not offering refunds to everybody it’s very specific qualifications. It’s actually DISGUSTING of you guys to take this long after putting thousands of lives in danger."
On a lighter note, other fans replied, "I’m still at the Ezoo will call line" and another said they're "Still waiting for the Netflix documentary."
What happened exactly?
Let us catch you up. In 2023, Electric Zoo had intended to "create a completely leveled-up experience that included new stage concepts, enhanced production, and so much more" on Randall's Island. But clearly, that didn't work out.
The festival was organized by the team behind Avant Gardner, a music complex in East Williamsburg, Gothamist reported. Event organizers blamed supply chain issues, as they were unable to complete construction of the main stage before show time. At that time, they vowed to offer refunds to ticket-holders who were affected.
But many fans pointed out that even a ticket refund wouldn't cover the full cost of flights, hotels, and outfits only to be informed of the cancellation mere hours before the show.
Lawsuits mounted basically right away. In a lawsuit, one plaintiff said the overcrowding caused him to "fear for his life," per Forbes.
The festival is one of the most respected and beloved in the EDM community, and performers for the first day included massive names like Kx5, Kaskade, Excision, Madeon, Galantis, The Blessed Madonna, Griz, The Chainsmokers, and HoneyLuv.
What's next for Electric Zoo?
It's hard to say, exactly. Event organizers were apologetic in their message saying, "We know we let you down."
But they also haven't announced any details about future festivals. We'll keep you posted. In the meantime, Electric Zoo's team says: As we continue forward, we will work every day to earn back your trust and forgiveness."