A high-powered U.S. music executive is taking aim at organizers who cancelled the 2017 Pemberton Music Festival, leaving ticketholders out in the cold.
Documents obtained by Global News show there will be no automatic refunds for tickets as “the festival is now in bankruptcy and has no ability to provide refunds for tickets purchased.”
Marc Geiger, the head of music for William Morris Endeavor, represents several of the artists who were scheduled to perform at the festival, including Haim, Big Sean and Canadian indie duo Tegan and Sara. Although unhappy with how the cancellation will impact his artists, he said he is speaking out because he’s shocked by how ticketholders are being treated.
“I’m not going to allow this,” he told Global News. “We deal with cancelled events all the time on an artists’ side, but nobody stiffs consumers.
“I’m the head of music for the biggest talent agency in the world who does more of this than anybody. I’ve never been on the phone with reporters talking about anything like this.”
WATCH: Pemberton Music Festival fallout
More than 18,000 people bought tickets for the festival but they won’t be getting refunds from show organizers. The festival declared bankruptcy after facing a $14-million budget shortfall.
With many wondering if they are going to get their money back, there are a few options available to ticketholders but nothing is guaranteed at this time.
Geiger, who ranked No. 16 in Billboard’s Power 100 list of music industry heavyweights, said in his three decades in the business, he has never seen customers treated like this and he believes things should have been done differently.
“They had multiple options: swallow a bigger loss, refund consumers, cancel the show. They could play the show. They could try to negotiate reduced fees from artists. There’s a number of things you can do.”
READ MORE: Some ticket holders are out more than $1,000
Festival organizers blame their financial difficulties on a weakening Canadian dollar and poor ticket sales.
“We are heartbroken to see the 2017 Pemberton Music Festival cancelled,” concert promoters Huka Entertainment said in a statement. “As a contract producer, Huka did not make the decision to cancel the festival. That decision was made by the Pemberton Music Festival, LP. We are extremely disappointed for our fans, artists and all of our partners who have supported the festival over the years.”
Geiger fears the Pemberton cancellation will lead concertgoers to lose confidence in other musical festivals.
“The next time somebody is thinking about buying a ticket, they are thinking, ‘Are these people scumbags? Are they going to abscond with my money?’” he said.
“People think twice about buying.”
He said he now plans to take the festival to court.
— With files from Amy Judd and Yuliya Talmazan
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