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Electric Zoo Issues Refunds
New York City’s Electric Zoo is issuing refunds for Sunday passes after the last day of this past weekend’s three-day electronic music festival was canceled because of the deaths of two attendees. The deaths are being blamed on the use of MDMA, known as ecstasy or molly.
The fifth edition of the festival was scheduled Aug. 30-Sept. 1 at Randall’s Island with big name EDM acts including Avicii, Big Gigantic, Tiësto, David Guetta, Bassnectar and Baauer.
Electric Zoo is issuing automatic, 100 percent refunds for Sunday passes. Fans who purchased Friday/Sunday passes will receive a 50 percent refund, including half of the service fees, while attendees who bought three-day passes will get a 33 percent refund and one third of their service fees back.
Festival organizers say, “We are processing refunds as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience.” Fans can contact Front Gate Tickets or call 888-512-SHOW for more information.
Sunday’s canceled lineup would have included performances by Armin van Buuren, Diplo, Steve Aoki, Sebastian Ingrosso, Zedd, W&W and Krewella.
The city government of New York out a statement Sunday saying Electric Zoo promoters had agreed to call off the final day of the festival based on “serious health risks.” In addition to the deaths of 23-year-old Jeffrey Russ and 20-year-old Olivia Rotondo, the city noted that at least four other fans “became critically ill and have been placed in intensive care at area hospitals.”
According to the city’s statement, although the cause of death for the attendees has not been released, “both appear to have involved the drug MDMA (ecstasy, or molly).”
The New York Times reports that Russ was transported to Harlem Hospital via hospital shortly before midnight Friday with symptoms including a high fever and a rapid heart rate. He was pronounced dead Saturday at 3:21 a.m.
After Rotondo arrived at Metropolitan Hospital Saturday at 8:45 p.m., she was pronounced dead 45 minutes later. She reportedly told an EMS worker she “took six hits of Molly,” according to the New York Post.
The Times notes that 31 drug-related arrests were made during the festival. There are also reports that a 16-year-old girl was sexually assaulted at the event, according to the New York Post.
The founders of Electric Zoo said they “send our deepest condolences to the families of the two people who passed away this weekend,” in a statement posted on the festival’s Facebook page Sunday.