Second night of Electric Daisy Carnival thwarted by high winds
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For the estimated 90,000 Electric Daisy Carnival fans at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday night, there were very few things that could have kept them from hearing their favorite DJs. It appears that one of those things was blustery desert winds, however.
Around 1 a.m. last night, Electric Daisy’s promoters and Las Vegas public safety officials decided to send all festival-goers off the field and into the stands as a safety precaution, given the high winds and the large temporary stages and structures that filled the infield. At 2:45 a.m., promoters decided to keep them in the stands for the rest of the night out of safety concerns, effectively cancelling much of the experience for ticketholders.
Fans arriving around that time were turned away at the gate by police, and those already inside could stay in the bleacher area until 5:30 a.m., around the time of the last listed sets. Sets by major headliners including Avicii and Tiesto were affected by the field-clearing, which promoter Insomniac said they only undertook with ‘an abundance of caution and with fan safety in mind.’
The full statement from the promoters below, and we will update this post as we learn more about what happened.
Las Vegas, June 10, 2012 – At 2:45 a.m. Insomniac, the producer of Electric Daisy Carnival, Las Vegas, in consultation with public safety officials, made the decision that due to extremely high wind conditions, the crowd would be cleared away from the stage areas. The decision was made out of an abundance of caution and with fan safety in mind. Fans inside the festival may stay until 5:30 a.m. and enjoy music from temporary sound systems located on the infield grass of the stadium. Earlier tonight, entry of new fans was stopped and inbound traffic is being managed by the Nevada Highway Patrol and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. As of 1 a.m. there were approximately 90,000 fans that had cleared the turnstiles into the venue. “Insomniac shares our fans’ disappointment that weather conditions changed the second night of the Electric Daisy Carnival experience,” said Insomniac CEO, Pasquale Rotella. “Our top priority has always been fan safety and we expect that Mother Nature will be more cooperative tomorrow as we prepare for an amazing day three.” Electric Daisy Carnival is set to continue as scheduled on Sunday, June 10, 2012, with gates opening at 7 p.m. until 5:30 a.m.
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— August Brown
