On each of the three days of the three-day Electric Zoo music festival on Randall’s Island in New York City, problems occurred, upsetting fans and generating disorder. On Sunday night, several irate festivalgoers stormed the gates.
Day 1
The event’s organizers blamed “global supply chain disruptions” for the cancellation of the first day, which fell on September 1, when they were unable to finish building the main stage in time for performances.
The Friday ticket, as well as the ferry and bus tickets for that day, were fully refunded, according to the event organizers.
Each holder of a multi-day ticket received “credit” for one of the days and “a refund equivalent to the amount of one day,” if they were traveling on a multi-day ticket.
After the disturbance, the organizers expected the remainder of the weekend to be “truly magical.” The event’s lineup included dozens of other musicians in addition to Bonnie & Clyde, Green Velvet, Alison Wonderland, The Chainsmokers, and Ramsey Neville.
Day 2
The scheduled start time for Saturday’s activities was changed to 3 p.m. from 1 p.m.
In a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, organizers thanked fans for their “unwavering support and understanding in the face of yesterday’s unexpected challenges. Your patience and dedication mean the world to us, and we cannot thank you enough for being part of this incredible community.”
Day 3
The festival’s announcement that there would be no further admissions into the venue on Randall’s Island, a 330-acre park sandwiched between Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens, on Sunday night brought the disappointment to a head.
“It is with deep regret that we need to inform you that due to the challenges caused by Friday’s cancellation, we have reached our venue’s capacity earlier than anticipated for today, Sunday,” organizers said in a statement on X. “For the safety and well-being of everyone on site, we will not be admitting any additional attendees today.”
Shortly after the announcement, the festival added: “THIS ONLY APPLIES IF YOU ARE NOT ON RANDALL’S ISLAND CURRENTLY.”
However, soon after the announcement, the event’s organizers said that everyone who was turned away will receive a full refund and that everyone who had already arrived on the island but had been turned away would receive free transportation back by bus or ferry.
Following the announcement, fans were shown on social media jumping over security fences and storming the festival site’s gates.
