New York AG Sues Evolutions Festival Over Unrefunded Tickets
The lawsuit says 521 customers were left without refunds after the electronic music festival was canceled just days before opening. New York AG Sues Evolutions Festival Over Unrefunded Tickets Alex Krinsky
New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against the organizers of the canceled 2025 Evolutions Festival, seeking restitution for over $243,000 in ticket sales and imposing potential civil penalties of up to $5,000 per alleged violation. The electronic music festival, which had been scheduled for September 5th-7th at the Sugar Mountain Performing Arts Center in Caneadea, New York, was announced to be canceled ten days before its date.
The lawsuit alleges that Evolutions Festival sold 1,157 tickets to 521 customers and brought in $243,158.04 in advance ticket earnings, but never issued any refunds to attendees. Eleven customers managed to recover a combined $5,005.97 by disputing charges with their credit card companies, but the festival organizers themselves "failed to issue a single refund."
The Attorney General's office emphasizes that concertgoers and vendors should expect their funds to be protected under New York's Arts and Cultural Affairs Law, which mandates that promoters safeguard advance ticket earnings through escrow arrangements or other financial measures that allow refunds in the event an event is canceled.
The lawsuit also accuses Evolutions Festival of blaming the venue for the cancellation, claiming the Sugar Mountain Performing Arts Center failed to secure necessary permits. The venue disputes this claim, stating the organizers did not provide required documentation and lacked proper authorization for alcohol sales. Evolutions Festival LLC, 845 Vibrations LLC, Michael G. Brown, and Justin J. Brown are named as defendants in the suit.
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