Los Angeles County Officials Recommend Keeping EDM Festivals

The Los Angeles festival scene has been in a holding pattern over the past few months after county officials demanded a worthwhile review of policies governing events happening on its grounds, notably electronic music festival following the deaths of two individuals at Hard Summer. The county set up an Electronic Music Task Force, which included a variety of different officials and music professionals. Originally in August, LA county officials proposed a temporary ban on large-scale dance events, but after deliberating for the past few months, the Electronic Music Task Force has recommended that this is not the right course of action and offered their own set of solutions.

The group has offered up 55 different recommendations that are being given to the county Board of Supervisors this month. It is up to them to adopt them at the end of the day, but it appears as though the task force has flushed out the issue pretty extensively and offered some comprehensive recommendations that can appease both sides.

Among some of the notable recommendations according to the Pasadena Star News include a minimum age of 18 for attendees, more access to water, which has started to be the norm but should be standard everywhere, a requirement of four police officers per 1,000 guests, the development of "evidence-based educational and information materials on alcohol and drug use" and amnesty boxes before security checkpoints.

A crackdown on alcohol would include a requirement that venues stop serving alcohol an hour before the end of the festival and a place to sober up for individuals for the last two hours. There would also be more traditional security in the forms of dogs, DUI checkpoints and searches.

We will find out soon if the county decides to take up and implement these recommendations before next summer soon.