To: The City of New York
The Randall's Island Park Alliance (RIPA)
NYC Department of Parks and Recreation

We, the undersigned, along with concerned citizens, music enthusiasts, and residents of New York City, hereby submit this petition to voice our collective concern and disappointment regarding the management of the Electric Zoo 2023 event. We urgently request that the City of New York, the Randall's Island Park Alliance, and the NYC Parks Department take immediate action to sanction and refuse future event permits to the organizers of Electric Zoo Festival, Avant Gardner, LLC, and EZ Festivals LLC.

Electric Zoo Festival has been a staple in New York City's music and arts scene for years. It has drawn attendees from across the globe and contributed to the cultural vibrancy that makes our city truly unique. However, the recent Electric Zoo 2023 event demonstrated a disturbing inability to provide a safe and enjoyable space for fans of electronic dance music.

Key concerns regarding Electric Zoo 2023 include:

1. **Safety**: On Sunday, Sept 3, the organizers failed to appropriately plan for venue capacity by inviting attendees from the canceled event on Friday, Sept 1 and subsequently attempting to deny entry to valid ticket holders after these patrons had already arrived at the gate. This poor decision resulted in substantial overcrowding and jeopardized the safety and well-being of attendees. In response to this situation, evidence shows security guards who assaulted patrons rather than preserving safety.

2. **Patron Experience**: Overwhelming social and news media accounts outline a fan experience that is far below the standard of similar music festivals. Examples include poor infrastructure, broken AV equipment, sound bleed across stages, disgusting smells, excessive lines, overcrowding, bad signage, price gouging, hostile and arbitrary security, poor customer service, a lack of non-VIP comfort amenities, and untimely communication. Fans waiting hours (often 3+ hours) in security, will call, and entry lines, on both days, were unable to enjoy the artists which they had come to see. It seemed that the organizers were more interested in advertising as many artists as possible on the lineup to attract ticket buyers than they were in creating an acceptable experience.

3. **Unmet Promises & False Advertising**:  The most egregious example of unmet promises was canceling the event on Friday, Sept 1, just hours before gates were scheduled to open. For any competent event organizer, this should have been realized days in advance and communicated to patrons. They further lied about the reasoning, citing “Global Supply Chain Issues” when Billboard has exposed the reason to be permits and other problems. The main attraction of any music festival, the stages, were never completed by Ezoo as evidenced by the renderings that were used as event advertising. These incomplete stages were riddled with technical difficulties in both their audio and video systems.

4. **Failure to Comply with Permits**: The organizers of Electric Zoo Festival were observed to be in violation of various permits and regulations, demonstrating a disregard for the laws and ordinances that protect the city, its residents and its tourists.

 

New York City, as a world-renowned hub of arts and entertainment, deserves an event organizer that can uphold the highest standards of safety, environmental responsibility, and community engagement. The failures of Electric Zoo 2023 not only put attendees at risk but also tarnished the reputation of our great city. The City of New York should demand an event organizer who can competently organize the world-class electronic dance music festivals that New York City deserves.

Therefore, we, the undersigned, respectfully request the following actions be taken:

1. **Immediate Sanctions**: Sanction Electric Zoo Festival, Avant Gardner, LLC, and EZ Festivals LLC for their inadequate management of Electric Zoo 2023.

2. **Refusal of Future Event Permits**: Refuse future event permits to Electric Zoo Festival organizers. 

3. **Transparent Investigation**: Conduct a transparent investigation into the issues surrounding Electric Zoo 2023, ensuring accountability for any violations and addressing the concerns raised by residents, attendees, and local businesses.

4. **Engage with the Community**: Foster a meaningful dialogue with the local community, including residents and visitors to New York City, to ensure their concerns are heard and addressed in any future event planning.

We are confident that our city can continue to host world-class events that reflect our commitment to excellence, safety, and community values.