Thousands of Electric Zoo Festival Attendees Flood Gates on Final Day After Friday Cancelation

Agitated crowd at Electric Zoo Festival stormed the gates after the event was declared full capacity following the cancellation on Friday.

Electric Zoo Festival, which returned to Randall’s Island in New York City this past weekend, has been plagued by tons of logistical issues since it announced the cancellation on Friday. On Sunday evening, officials released a statement that the event had reached “the venue’s maximum capacity earlier than anticipated” and “for the safety and well-being of everyone on-site, we [they] will not be admitting any additional attendees today.”

Frustration eventually culminated as festival goers who were denied entry were stranded at the gates. Footage captured at the entrance showed the disgruntled attendees attempting to breach the gates as they leaped and ran toward the festival ground, bypassing security and rushing into the venue.

Two hours before the doors were set to open on Friday, the festival organizers had to call off the event due to the incomplete construction of the main stage. They cited “global supply chain disruptions” which resulted in “unexpected delays.” While the organizers had promised that the rest of the weekend would be “truly magical” following the initial disruption, challenges continued to persist in the subsequent days as festival goers became increasingly disappointed.

As day two kicked off with a delayed start, performances that were scheduled earlier in the day were also canceled. Queues at the will call were reported to be snaking and some waited for as long as five hours and more. The extended line led to growing frustration, as people had to endure hours of waiting and missed out on performances in the night.

The combination of canceled events, capacity constraints, and other logistical problems in the three-day event contributed to a deep sense of disappointment and irritation among those in attendance. Many took to social media to express their firm stance not to return for next year’s edition and call for the organizers to take a critical look at their management of future events.