After a series of music festivals gone wrong in Ontario, ticket holders may be wondering what exactly they’re entitled to when the experience offered doesn’t match what they paid for.
On Sunday, ticket holders for the Kultureland music festival in Ajax, Ontario. were scrapped after the festival changed venues at the last minute, with headliner Jhené Aiko canceling her performance.
Organizer Ferell Laditi told The Canadian Press on Monday that the inaugural edition of his two-day R&B and Afro-fusion music festival did not go as he had planned.
“I never intended to rip anyone off or take their money and not give them performances.”
But Kultureland wasn’t the only music festival plagued by problems in Ontario this past weekend. Toronto’s Kingston Fest faced audio issues and overcrowding while the Boots and Hearts festival in Oro-Medonte had to temporarily evacuate the festival grounds due to extreme weather conditions. Additionally, Ever After, which was also scheduled to take place in Oro-Medonte, was canceled just a week before its August 11 start date.
Lindsey Addawoo was among those who attended the festival at its home venue in Markham, Ont., on Saturday.
While things got really bad on Sunday, she said the whole festival was badly organized. VIP tickets were not honored and attendees were denied access to water, requiring medical attention due to the extreme heat on Saturday, Addawoo said.
“It just feels like a money thing, like there doesn’t seem to be [no] sense of responsibility,” Addawoo said. “It was like throwing spaghetti against the wall and saying, ‘Let’s do something sticky.'”
Saturday attendees are currently not ready to receive a refund.
Ticket holder rights can be tricky
Music lawyer Paul Banwatt told CBC Toronto that it can be difficult to determine what ticket holders are entitled to in these situations.
“If you’ve looked at all the different festivals, shows and events and looked at the terms and conditions for each of them, you’ll find a lot of differences along the way,” he said.
However, he said there was an argument to be made if the experience was no longer like what was originally sold to participants.
Entertainment lawyer Miro Oballa agreed, saying some changes to a show or festival are normal, but those that affect the overall experience can be cause for action.
“If it’s a one-man show, you know, and I paid to see Kendrick Lamar and I don’t get Kendrick Lamar, that’s [a problem]”, he said. “If it’s a festival bill and there’s a bunch of artists, probably, even if the headliner is exchanged, as long as it’s a headliner of comparable stature… you still get the experience.”
Research before you buy
CBC Toronto asked the province how Ontario protects ticket holders in situations where a festival location is changed or advertised performers cancel their shows.
In a statement Wednesday, the province said it is currently conducting the first comprehensive review of the Consumer Protection Act in more than 15 years and urged individuals to contact Consumer Protection Ontario with questions about refund rights. specific.
It’s also always a good idea to research festival organizers before buying tickets, Oballa added.
“You buy a ticket for an experience and rely on someone else or a company to organize that experience for you,” he said. “If they’ve never had experience in this area before, the risk is greater than if it’s someone who has.”
As for Laditi, he says he is already planning an improved Kultureland festival for next year.
“I know there have been a lot of setbacks with this, but the goal is to build something that can continue to connect cultures and build the community that we have here in Canada,” he said. at The Canadian Press.
Mutsa Charamba was one of many ticket holders who left the festival disappointed but has no plans to attend the follow-up event. The festival needs to rethink its resources, she said.
“I think they bit off more than they could chew, honestly.”
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