The Pemberton Music Festival for 2017 has been cancelled and ticket holders are left wondering what they can do to try and get their money back.
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.”
Sherina and David Raza are out more than $1,000 now as they bought two tickets to the festival as a grad gift for their son. The two tickets were about $700, and camping and parking came to about $300.
“The lineup was really good and he was really excited once he heard who was coming,” said Sherina. “So that was another downer on the whole thing.”
The lineup for this year’s event included acts such as Muse, Chance the Rapper, A Tribe Called Quest and dozens of others.
Court documents reveal the Pemberton Music Festival’s revenue to date was just over $8 million but expenses had reached $22 million.
Poor ticket sales and a low Canadian dollar are at least partially to blame.
The contract producer for the event, U.S.-based Huka Entertainment, issued a statement saying they are heartbroken and it was not their decision to cancel the event.
But for Sherina and David, they are now left wondering what they are going to do.
“It’s going to be a real upsetting conversation to have with our son,” said David. “It was his graduation present.”
Ernst & Young has been appointed trustee. Ticket holders are encouraged to contact them and their credit card companies as some may offer a refund.
— With files from Catherine Urquhart and Yuliya Talmazan