By now, most of us are familiar with the fact that the Blue Ridge Rock Festival had to completely cancel their event, causing quite a scandal with outraged concertgoers.
For those who missed it, the show in Alton, VA experienced sever weather conditions on September 7 , the festival’s opening night. Those who were at the fest complained about transportation issues and damages to their campsites due to weather.
The fest was officially canceled on September 9, and rumors, stories from folks who were there, and narratives from the Blue Ridge Rock Fest team have been swirling.
Yesterday, the festival responded with a statement:
“We are continually working around the clock for you. As one of the few true independent entities remaining, and with just one event a year, the process we are currently working through does unfortunately take additional time. Blue Ridge deeply regrets the unexpected turn of events that led to the festival’s cancellation. The decision, although difficult, was taken in collaboration with an emergency management team, comprised of local, county, and state officials, as well as venue representatives. It was a collective choice made in the best interest of everyone’s safety, including attendees, musicians, and campers. Contrary to some claims, the decision was based solely on safety concerns caused by the weather. Due to a combination of internal considerations and external factors, we are unable to offer more details at this time, but we are looking forward to doing so. We appreciate your patience and understanding and will communicate further information as soon as we are able. We do want you to know that we hear you and understand your concerns. We ask for your continued patience.”
However, a quick scroll through the comment section of this Instagram post really highlights how little festival attendees are buying what this post is selling. It’s actually a little alarming to see so many people on the internet harmoniously echoing the same sentiment.