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The Electric Zoo Festival in New York City saw attendees rush the gate on Sunday after ‘unforeseen circumstances’ prompted ticketholders to be turned away.
Video from the gate shows would-be concertgoers running towards the festival from a security checkpoint after they were told the event was full.
The festival reached maximum capacity on Sunday night ‘due to unforeseen circumstances’ officials said, as they promised to refund those locked out.
It came after the first day of the concert was canceled abruptly and day two started several hours late.
Fans expressed outrage on social media saying it was the ‘worst festival experience’ of their lives and calling for organizers to be investigated.
The Electric Zoo Festival in New York City saw attendees rush the gate on Sunday after ‘unforeseen circumstances’ prompted ticketholders to be turned away
It was just the icing on the cake for agitated festival attendees, however, as the first day of the concert was canceled abruptly and day two started several hours late
The video from the security gate shows what appears to be hundreds of people rushing the gate of the event which is held on Randall’s Island.
People can be seen jumping on tables and running past security officers nearby. It is unknown if any injuries were reported or if arrests were made.
ABC New York spoke with festivalgoers who called the incident a ‘stampede.’
‘We just saw all of the equipment, the tents, stuff like that being knocked down so we didn’t know what to do. It was a crazy situation,’ said John McGuire.
‘And after that it was impossible to get to any of the sets. So after that, it was hard getting out last night, so we thought, might as well just get out of there,’ he said.
‘They will refund us the money that we spent, so I’m fine as long as we’re safe, so we’re good,’ said Cicero Clamor, another attendee.
At some point on Sunday, the entrances to Randall’s Island from the Triboro Bridge – which is used for pedestrians and vehicles – were shut down.
In a tweet, organizers apologized ‘deeply’ for the chaos that ensued on day three.
The video from the security gate shows what appears to be hundreds of people rushing the gate of the event which is held on Randall’s Island
The gates to the event closed just hours after opening to ticket holders
Festivalgoers at Electric Zoo on Saturday, September 2
‘We are so thankful for the overwhelming support and patience you’ve shown this year after the challenges we’ve faced over the weekend,’ a lengthy tweet read.
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‘It is with deep regret that we need to inform you that due to the challenges caused by Friday cancelation, we have reached our venue’s capacity earlier than anticipated for today, Sunday.
‘For the safety and well-being of everyone on site, we will not be admitting any additional attendees today. If you are on your way or were planning to come later, we kindly ask that you refrain from coming to the festival site.
‘Your safety and festival experience remain our top priorities. We deeply apologize for this inconvenience and hope you understand that this decision was made with everyone’s best interest in mind. Refund details are to follow.
‘Thank you for your continued love, patience, and understanding. We promise to make it up to you. Team EZOO,’ the tweet ended.
Made Event, the organizers of Electric Zoo, blamed supply chain issues for the overall issues with this year’s festival.
Underneath EZoo’s tweet, dozens of angry users responded to the apology and shared their outrage while calling for officials to face consequences.
‘And that’s how the last E zoo dies, with thousands of paying customers being turned away at 6:45 PM,’ one person wrote.
‘Yeah entry is gonna be closed forever cuz this festival will NEVER reopen again after this horrible mismanagement.’
‘This is outright gross negligence.’ ‘So when will we see your Netflix documentary about this fiasco?’ ‘Biggest joke ever.’
‘This was the worst festival experience of my life. as a disabled person, trying to get into and out of this fest was atrocious. no ADA line, barely any helpful medical staff, & so many overcrowded hazards.’
‘Everyone who was denied entry today will be issued a refund,’ organizers said in a tweet
Angry Twitter users took to social media to express their frustration with the festival
One person questioned whether or not they would be refunded for their other expenses
‘Fyre fest 2.0’ one Twitter user remarked
Sunday’s lockout was the third day of chaos as day one saw the event canceled just hours before it was supposed to start.
On day two, ticket holders were informed that the start time – originally 1pm – would be pushed back to 3pm.
Organizers stated that anyone with single day tickets for the festival would be refunded and multiple-day-ticket holder would receive a credit.
It’s unclear the reasoning for the interruptions from the normal schedule.
