ALTON, Va. – The Blue Ridge Rock Fest team has issued a statement several months after the cancellation of the 2023 event.
As we’ve reported previously, around 60,000 people were abruptly sent home from the Blue Ridge Rock Fest when it was canceled in September due to weather.
Hundreds of viewers reached out concerned over refunds. Now, after several months, the Blue Ridge Rock Fest team has issued a full statement, citing their delay on the matter was due to language restrictions within their insurance policy.
[READ MORE: Blue Ridge Rock Fest Fallout]
BRRF posted the statement on their Instagram page on Friday afternoon. Comments were limited on the post, which had well over 1,000 likes just a half-hour after it was posted. Read the full statement below.
We are extremely sorry for the delay in providing a clear resolution for 2023′s partial cancellation. We know that frustrations are continuing to compound, and fans serve more communication and information from us. It has pained us immensely that we have not been permitted to do so thus far. For the first time, we have recently been given permission to issue this more complete statement.
Our event had the benefit of festival interruption and abandonment insurance. Receiving coverage for a claim of this magnitude takes a considerable amount of time. The firm representing the Festival expect a response to the claim in the first quarter of 2024 or shortly thereafter. After the response from the insurance companies, we will update all of you and begin the process of providing complete resolutions to everyone.
Our insurance policy has language restricting our public announcements until the claim is settled. This is the reason we have largely been silent. It has been incredibly difficult to not publicize evidence to refute many of the reports surrounding the Festival. However, we are unwilling to jeopardize the recovery of the policy for you the fans, prejudice our rights, or prejudice the moment when we can provide full transparency.
The unanticipated, sudden, and extraordinary storms, which put fans, crews, bands, and the event in grave danger were incredibly unfortunate. The damage caused by these storms has yet to be fully revealed. despite the time this process has taken, we have not stopped working diligently on your behalf. The moment we have the authority, we will address everything in full. This has been brutal for all of us. We continue to work tirelessly to ensure a timely resolution and have taken every step possible on our end to shorten the process.
We fully understand the animosity that many of you have towards the situation. There is so much more to this story than what has come to light. A special thank you to those of you who have continued to support us during these hard times. Your patience and grace has been a testament to the passionate community that surrounds the event and built it to the largest on the continent. It goes without saying we would be nothing without each of you.
The Blue Ridge Rock Festival Team
10 News has been covering the Blue Ridge Rock Fest Fallout since the initial cancellation.
We heard from some festival-goers who claimed that the weather cancellation wasn’t their only concern: Unsanitary conditions, not enough water and dangerous weather were just some of their claims.
Others came forward with claims of illness stemming from the festival, too. The Virginia Department of Health was investigating complaints of gastrointestinal illness in people who attended the festival.
10 News spoke with stagehands after the cancellation, one of whom said it was all a mess from the start. One stagehand claimed he and others walked out of the event after Friday night.
To see more coverage of the Blue Ridge Rock Fest Fallout, click here.