REDWEST Fest in Utah will not issue a refund to patrons who battled the elements for a music festival that did not happen as planned. The Saturday night performers, including Post Malone, did not go on.
It was canceled due to weather.
However, the country music festival explicitly states it will take place in “rain or shine.” A severe lack of communication throughout the evening adds to the frustration.
What is REDWEST Fest?
REDWEST Fest takes place at Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City. Like most music festivals, it spans three days— Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Friday went on with out an issue. Saturday’s lineup was stacked.
- Colin Stough
- Cameron Whitcomb
- Hudson Westbrook
- Ty Myers
- Ole 60
- Treaty Oak Revival
- Koe Wetzel
- Post Malone
A large number of festivalgoers went primarily for Posty. Most of them bought Saturday-only tickets. Some of them bought the full weekend book to make sure they could be there on Saturday night.
People flew in from all over the country. Utahns drove in from all over the state.
They did not get to see Post Malone.
Saturday was canceled due to weather.
The concert entered into a weather delay in the late afternoon. There was lightning in the area.
Fans were told to seek shelter wherever they could.
A lot of them were forced to hide under nearby stairwells or at bus stops. Others trekked it out to the train.
Ubers out of the area cost $100+ and there was no way to know whether the festival was going to continue so those who chose to stay were stuck.
Hundreds (if not thousands) of patrons stood outside of the gates in the rain to wait for the festival to reopen.
It never did. The Saturday show was canceled.
The lightning did not linger and had passed so it did not make sense. An event that claims to be “rain or shine” could not continue because the stage was ruined and the grounds were wet.
Meanwhile, the University of Utah was able to play its college football game just a few miles away!
And to make matters worse, it took REDWEST Fest more than two hours to provide an update after the initial delay. The radio silence created false hope for a return which caused people to people stick around when they could’ve just gone home.
There will be no refunds.
Despite what REDFEST said about “rain or shine,” the show did not go on. People are furious. Rightfully so.
To make good for Saturday, REDFEST allowed people with Saturday-only tickets to attend the show on Sunday. That does not fix the problem.
People who only purchased tickets for Saturday either were not able to go on Sunday or wanted to see the lineup on Saturday, especially Post Malone. They did not want to attend Sunday’s show, which ended up at absolute maximum capacity with patrons packed in like sardines from shoulder to shoulder.
In addition, the Saturday tickets being allowed on Sunday did not provide any sort of “make good” for the people who purchased three-day passes. They basically lost a day at full price. How is that fair?
It’s not! Country music fans who planned to attend the Saturday show deserve a refund.