The current drama in the electronic music world revolves around whether Michigan's Electric Forest Festival will go on this summer amidst legal battles between hosts AEG Live/Madison House Entertainment and SFX Entertainment and a number of property owners. The good news: Electric Forest won't be cancelled this summer. The bad news: It won't necessarily be back next year.
The details: Progressive Resorts LLC—who hosts the festival on one of its properties in Rothbury, MI—was struggling under some major debt. SFX Entertainment, who has no affiliation with Electric Forest, stepped in and offered to buy the property, including paying off existing debt. Progressive thought that sounded pretty good, except they had signed a 20-year lease with AEG Live and Madison in 2010 to host the festival for the stretch. Progressive claimed, obviously a little last minute, that the new deal nullified the last deal.
A judge ruled against AEG's complaints on Monday. That caused a minor panic, considering the event released its lineup last week and has sold more than 25,000 tickets. Madison House co-founder Jeremy Stein told fans not to worry.
"We're excited to be plowing forward and I think everyone's intentions are for the festival not only to happen to be the best one yet," he said, in less than convincing PR-speak. We'd feel a lot better if SFX told us they weren't moving to crush Electric Forest. Fortunately, they did.
"There is absolutely no truth to the rumor that SFX is doing anything to halt Electric Forest," the company reported. "In fact we agreed to rescue the property owner and then another party began a legal proceeding much to our surprise. Electric Forest is a great festival held on a great site. We regret the actions of others but we assure all fans of Electronic Music that we only are interested in expanding the offerings available to EMC fans."
No hiding the fact that SFX is dissing AEG Live and co. here, as well as painting themselves as the good guy. Regardless, it looks like Electric Forest will go forward as planned. The bigger impact will take place next year when, undoubtedly, SFX will install its own version of the festival (Electric Jungle? Electric Pines?) on the same property, and if AEG will move Electric Forest somewhere else.
