Published
Thu, Sep 3, 2015, 19:18
- The move responds to the drug-related deaths of two teenagers at HARD Summer.
On September 1st, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in support of the formation of the Electronic Music Task Force, charged with making recommendations for safer dance festivals.
Billboard reports the motion was spearheaded by LA County Mayor Michael Antonovich as well as LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis. The latter said "I want to emphasize that our efforts around this motion, above all, are about the health and safety of those attending these events" in a statement. The task force's initial report is due in 120 days and will contain recommendations for enforceable health and safety measures at electronic music festivals held on county property. The task force has not ruled out a temporary or permanent ban on such events, and will also consider whether such a measure would violate First Amendment rights.
Meanwhile, Live Nation has canceled HARD's A Night At The Fairplex event, originally scheduled for September 10th. HARD's two-day Halloween party, Day Of The Dead, will also face serious restrictions. The festival, which will be held at the Fairplex in Pomona with a lineup including Skrillex, DJ Tennis, Seth Troxler and The Martinez Brothers, will be forced to limit its attendance to 40,000. (HARD Day of the Dead drew 65,000 last year.) In addition, the gathering will now be limited to attendees 21 years of age and up, with more cooling stations and security present on-site.