Roots Picnic won't issue refunds after long delays and safety concerns
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The Roots Picnic will not be giving out refunds for this year's festival after Saturday's three-hour delay in opening led to long lines, organizers told Axios on Monday.
Why it matters: Hundreds, "if not thousands," of concertgoers were expected to demand their money back, a Mann Center staffer working the event told Axios last weekend.
The big picture: Roots Picnic serves as a mecca of Philly's Black musical and cultural contributions, headlined by some of the region's most popular artists since 2008.
- But some upset attendees have compared their experience at last weekend's event to the disastrous Fyre Festival.
Driving the news: The festival told Axios in a statement that no refunds would be issued because the "rain or shine event" was still "able to deliver a full day of artist performances and programming."
- It comes after outraged festivalgoers took to social media to list their grievances, from long waits without access to bathrooms and water stations to complaints that the grounds were difficult to navigate for people with disabilities.
- Following Saturday's weather delay, the festival was slow to communicate the new schedule and then posted the wrong one, sparking confusion among attendees about which artist was on when.
Plus: Some festivalgoers said they witnessed people faint while waiting to get into the event at the Mann Center, and long waits for paramedics to provide care.
What they're saying: At least 57 people received care during the festival, but large crowds made it challenging for paramedics to immediately reach people who needed attention, Rachel Cunningham, a spokesperson for Philadelphia's Fire Department, which staffed EMS at the event, told Axios.
- The Mann Center and Live Nation Urban didn't immediately respond to Axios' requests for comment.
Between the lines: Several people also claimed on social media that they received refunds at the event. The festival didn't immediately respond to Axios' request for comment on the matter.
Catch up quick: The festival posted an apology on Instagram about Saturday's long lines to get into the event, blaming a heavy rainstorm that doused the area for making the "grounds unsafe."
- The apology's comment section is disabled, but one of the top comments on another post called the festival's crowd control "the most amateur and unprofessional" they've "ever had the misfortune to experience."
Roots drummer Questlove said the event was almost canceled, but they decided to forge ahead after taking "extra time to repair the site."
- "This year has shown our ability to adapt and overcome challenges, much like we did in past years."
The bottom line: Some attendees were so put off by their experiences that they vowed never to return.