Techno Fest Charges Up

For the first time, organizers of Detroit’s Memorial Day weekend electronic music festival will charge admission.

The Detroit City Council approved a preliminary plan to charge $10 a day or $25 for a three-day pass to the May 28-30 event at Hart Plaza, which has been renamed Fuse In: Detroit’s Electronic Movement.

Under the pending agreement, the city will get $1 per ticket and 30 percent of the festival’s net profits, according to the Detroit Free Press.

The techno fest was billed as the largest free music event in North America until lack of funding and dwindling sponsorships put its future in jeopardy.

In February, DJ Kevin Saunderson signed a two-year contract with an extension option to produce the massive event, which draws about 100,000 people to the city.