The show must and will go on. Electric Forest appears to have cleared its final hurdle to return with the 2015 edition of the Electric Forest Festival at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Michigan. Yesterday evening, the Grant Township Board gave the festival its final permit approval for a mass gathering permit with a split vote of 3-2, according to local paper Oceana Country Press.
There had been a fear that the permit might not be approved, despite the festival signing a 10-year lease with the site to hold the festival on the grounds for another 10 years. The mass-gathering permit has to be approved each year by the town committee.
The festival had been mired in legal issues recently, with battles occurring between Madison House Presents/Insomniac, the owners of the festival, and dance conglomerate SFX, which in 2013 tried to acquire the land on which the festival presides. After months of legal back and forth, which involved a lengthy court battle and many public comments, the issue has been resolved, and SFX was ultimately unable to purchase the property. It was instead aquired by Antler Bar Amusement, who own resorts across the Midwest.
The 2014 edition of Electric Forest went on as planned. Moving forward, and according to a representative from Madison House Presents, the current lease with the new property owners is longterm and exclusive. And to clarify any outstanding questions regarding the legal battle between SFX and Madison House Presents/Insomniac, there is no foreseeable opportunity for SFX to install their own festival on the grounds, and everything on this matter has been resolved.
In its fifth year, Electric Forest has become a pilgrimage for thousands of dance music fans from across the United States. It celebrates not only differing styles of electronic music, but also art, dance and the spirit of the individual. Last year, the festival sold 34,000 general admission tickets. Last year featured acts like Bassnectar, Steve Angello, The String Cheese Incident — a staple at Electric Forest — RAC, Tycho, Moby, Matt & Kim and many more.
The festival appears to be on the right track for its five-year anniversary celebration unless any other unforseen issues occur before kickoff.
