​Electric Zoo faces class action lawsuit following “nightmare” 2023 festival

Organisers of New York’s Electric Zoo festival are currently facing a class action lawsuit following a “nightmare” 2023 edition, Rolling Stone reports.

Two festival-goers filed a lawsuit against organisers on Wednesday, September 13, a little over a week after the disastrous festival went ahead (September 2 - 3) - what they called “a nightmare endured by thousands of electronic music fans”.

The festival’s final day was reportedly oversold and reached capacity by midday, stopping some 7,000 valid ticket holders from entering the grounds on Randall’s Island, New York.

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The first day of Electric Zoo was also cancelled just three hours before it was due to begin due to “global supply chain issues” which prevented the construction of the festival’s main stage.

Rolling Stone obtained the lawsuit, reporting that plaintiffs Nicole Brockmole and Lauren Bair are seeking damages on “behalf of all affected patrons who paid for ticket(s) for access or entry to [Electric Zoo] were not granted access.”

The lawsuit states that “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 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.”

Electric Zoo organisers promised refunds to those who were denied entry, or a partial refund for weekend ticket holders. The first day of the event was due to be headlined by Kx5, Galantis, and the Chainsmokers.

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After the cancellation of the festival’s first day, Electric Zoo also ran late in its opening on Saturday. A festival insider reportedly told Page Six that Brooklyn Mirage “is to blame” for the oversold festival and that its late start was in fact down to a lack of preparation.

The source reported that Avant Gardner, the investment group that runs Brooklyn Mirage, purchased Electric Zoo for $15 million last year.

“They bought the festival, and then fired everyone who ran Electric Zoo, and then rehired everyone once they found out they really couldn’t put it on,” they claimed.

[Via Rolling Stone]

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter