Inaugural Epicenter fest leaves fans stranded, outraged

by | May 13, 2019 | News | 0 comments

The inaugural Epicenter festival held over the weekend (10th-12th) at the Rockingham Festival Grounds in Richmond County, NC, received backlash from both fans and mother nature. The three-day-event known as the replacement for Carolina Rebellion, presented by promoter Danny Wimmer Presents, was poorly received by many with reports of furious concertgoers reacting to traffic congestion, overpriced meals, and the unfortunate cancelation of Saturday night’s (11th) show due to inclement weather. Sadly, the second night included major headliners Tool, Judas Priest, and The Cult. The cancelation also occurred hours after the venue’s evacuation as those who were camping had to seek shelter in their vehicles until the storm had passed.

Unfortunately, another squall erupted on the first day as ticketholders were stuck in traffic along Highway 1, waiting hours to drive into the festival grounds. The wait resulted in fans missing acts they drove specifically to see while others gave up entirely and drove back home. This occurred after fans paid for their tickets ranging from $80-nearly $500, depending on the package and VIP plan.

WRAL reports, by the time Sunday (12th) arrived, fans who had purchased multi-day passes were fed up and decided to stay home altogether. Many festival-goers told WRAL on the congestive traffic on Highway 1 as they had to wait hours after leaving the first night. Fans have thanked other attendees via social media to “praise the guy who opened the fence at the back into the campground exit.”

Other frustrations included the festival’s pricing on food and a tentative list of disappointments as one concertgoer shared a  fake lineup schedule to humorously express their frustrations. WRAL also reported how fans were upset after discovering ticketholders who purchased multi-day passes for hundreds of dollars noticed those who had purchased single day passes were offered a chance to return their tickets for $1. As horrific as the traffic was, parking came with a price that ranged from $15 for a single day to $40 for the entire weekend. WRAL reported ticket holders were told parking would be available in “an official Rockingham Festival Grounds lot,” which ended up being directed to a park in open poorly-lit fields with minimal security.

Based on the excessive complaints and issues, a Facebook group formed to consider a class action lawsuit against the festival. The group went up to 1,400 members by Sunday evening (12th) as fans were able to share their experiences. ThePRP reports the group appears to have been removed from social media.

You can read a few updates below:

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Zenae Zukowski
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