Ticket holders 'frustrated' after Ontario township denies permit for music festival just weeks away
CBC
A popular electronic dance music festival in Ontario was denied a special event permit by local council just a few weeks before it's set to take place — leaving many ticket holders demanding answers and calling for refunds.
The Ever After festival, a three-day event, is scheduled to kick off on Aug. 12 with thousands of people anticipating its long-awaited return.
Due for its sixth edition this year after a two-year hiatus as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival announced in March that it had moved venue locations from Bingemans in Kitchener, Ont., to Burl's Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte, a township north of Barrie.
But last week, township council said it will not be issuing a special event permit due to concerns around operational planning of the music festival. On Thursday, exactly one week after council's decision, organizers took to social media to notify ticket holders that it will appeal the decision.
"We are aware of the denial of the special events permit at this time from the Township of Oro-Medonte meeting last week," Ever After festival said in a tweet Thursday.
"However, there is an appeals process that we are currently undergoing as well as reviewing other options to ensure that EAMF occurs in 2022."
A spokesperson for the township told CBC Toronto there is no appeal process as of Thursday.
The festival said in the meantime, it will be "proceeding as planned" and will provide updates as it has more information.
CBC Toronto reached out to Ever After festival but did not receive a response in time for publication.
The news has left many people like Cyla Daniels feeling confused and disappointed, who paid for her ticket in 2019 and has been waiting to go.
"Two weeks before and they haven't even given us an option to get a refund …. they're really not telling us anything," Daniels told CBC Toronto. "I opted out of going to a lot of concerts this summer because I wanted to dedicate my summer to Ever After."
Daniels has been attending the music festival with her group of friends since 2015.
"It's really frustrating … we go every year. All of us. We go together," she said.
"We used to go with my one friend who actually passed away, so now we go in his memory."
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