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By Veronica Mackey
About a year ago, I saw Lionel Richie the Kia Forum. During one of his many monologues, he mentioned Diana Ross and even teased the crowd, suggesting she might actually come on stage with him and perform “Endless Love.” The crowd clapped and cheered with anticipation until he said, “She ain’t comin’ y’all.” Richie then told the audience that over the years, he had begged the R&B diva to reunite with him for the classic which topped the music charts 42 years earlier. She always said no.
When I read that Ross and Richie were headlining the Fool In Love Festival at SoFi on August 31, I assumed, as did thousands of other fans, that the two would pair up one more time. Boy, were we wrong.
Fans were disappointed that Ross and Richie performed separately on 2 different stages. Apparently, the love between them was not so “endless.” According to www.theroot.com, the two have never got along that well. Ross, an admitted perfectionist, said she likes to start on time, while her duo partner was always late. Richie reportedly felt a certain way when Ross ditched his performance at Kia Forum, but showed up at SoFi to sing Happy Birthday to Beyonce.
Aside from Ross and Richie, the Festival lineup offered everything an R&B-Soul-music-loving fan could dream of: Smokey Robinson, The Jacksons, Isley Brothers, Zapp, Chaka Khan, Al Green, Charlie Wilson, Santana, Gladys Knight, Spinners, Dionne Warwick, Morris Day and the Time, and many more. As far as legends go, “Fools In Love” really delivered. On organization, security, logistics and crowd control, it disappointed. BIG time.
Confession: I did not attend this concert. I wanted to, but after seeing all the great acts scheduled for a one-day concert, with multiple stages, I sensed it would be a hot mess. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to part with $300 to purchase a ticket. After multiple failed attempts to get access with press credentials, I opted to catch the clips on YouTube.
However, folks on Reddit who did attend had plenty to say about their experiences, like RadiantZote:
We arrived a little after noon, went through the massive swarm of entry and got into the festival after 2pm.The layout of this festival was so bad.
-There are bottlenecks if you want to get anywhere, I can’t imagine how awful it was for the ADA people in scooters trying to get anywhere in those crowds. I don’t even know if there was ADA viewing for the two side stages.
-The stages were laid out so poorly that it took way too long to get from one to the other because you were trying to get through a sea of people.
-Lawn chairs, why?? It created entitled douchebags who were ready to throw down because YOU CAN’T STAND IN MY WAY
-Audio issues on the bounce stage with mics not working or being mixed poorly, audio issues on the main stages too.
-The beer tents in the middle of the pit of the two side stages which blocks everyone’s view. Terrible choice, especially on the bounce stage.
With that said, we basically camped out on the main Fool stage from Chaka until the end of the show. They played the audio/video from the other stage so you wouldn’t have to deal with going back and forth between acts which helped. Had a great time seeing what we got to see but I doubt I’d ever be back due to the issues. They were so damn understaffed. I get allowing chairs but they should’ve ONLY been allowed in those tent structures with security enforcing it. They also should’ve doubled the amount of those palette seating things by the food. It’s all a parking lot so not like you can just pop a squat without burning your ass off at noon.
We ended up leaving right after Santana because it was starting to get so crowded and honestly if you were trying to buy water it became a hassle to stand in the bar line so I was anticipating some super drunk and super mad people as the night wore on.
Friendly_Advice_3506
We paid for VIP when they went on sale. Then the month before they did a BOGO. free sale. So most people over paid up to $700. Thats fu$ked up and morally wrong on so many levels. There was no structure of the droves of people in the pathways and ZERO security around. The ratio of cops and security vs people = if sh** goes down the people are dying because the COPS AND SECURITY are all posted up at the exits. The VIP Bar at the cruisin stage at 2:00 pm was an ABSOLUTE JOKE!!!! Shame on the bartenders and the fact I had 22 people in front of me and it was an hour and ten minutes until I was able to get my beverages. This was so unorganized, drunk sloppy people by the end of the night. I’m all about drinking but the sloppiness I won’t ever get. I do not regret going however. It would of been a better experience with the proper staffing. I understand the line up of artists were amazing they cut corners at the expense of our safety. And we paid alot of money for them to do that. Make it make sense.
Tvfilm
It was FYRE fest but it occurred.
- Lowering ticket prices, 2 for 1 special $100 to get in but early buyers paid $350. LOL
- Security on their cell phones not even doing their jobs.
- Security dancing and watching the concert instead of patrolling.
- Oversold show when they did the 2 for 1 special.
- Layout was horrible, blocked entrances and passageways.
- Food and drink stations were 30 min wait times
- Ordering food was 2 lines, one to pay and another 30 mins to get your food.
- Chairs everywhere, couldn’t walk or enjoy the show
- Sound issues constantly
- Security was a joke. Took 2 hours to get inside.
- Lineup times were too close, 4 stages? Make it a 2-day festival.
- Trash everywhere, nobody was cleaning up the trash
- No water or soap in all the restroom areas
- Did I mention horrible layout?
Immediate-Might7867
There were chair zones? I honestly don’t understand how anyone could bring their entire family, each with a chair, and decide to go towards the front. Could’ve been much better if I had enough room to dance. Such a disgrace those artists were mostly facing fans fully seated rather than a hyped up audience dancing, jumping, vibing.
TikTok users chimed in as well:
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Meschella1492
The fact they put Smokey on that stage and not the big one Diana and Chaka was on blew my mind.
I knew this was going to happen. My friends asked me to go and immediately said NO WAYYY!
Petition Started
Disgruntled concert goer Suavecito Slim has started a petition on Change.org for others who felt shortchanged by festival organizers. In a post titled “Demand Fool In Love Festival to Refund Overpriced Tickets in Accordance with California Law”he wrote:
As a music lover who has been treated with disdain, I personally fell victim to the deceptive pricing policy during the ticket release of Fool In Love Festival. Initially, I purchased VIP tickets at a price of $700 each, only to find out later that the prices dropped to $450 for the exact same ticket. Seeking redress, I approached their management team, but their reply was below par. They cited “All-in pricing” and “all sales are final” as their defense, but it is not commensurate under Federal law against such illicit methods of ticket sales.
Fool In Love Festival’s current practice not only violates California Law Sb478 which mandates price transparency but also breaches The Sherman Act and Federal Anti-Trust laws designed to protect against false advertising and deceptive sales tactics. This indicates unethical business practices from FrontGate Tickets and the organizers of Fool In Love Festival that should not go unaddressed.
This issue extends beyond my personal situation. Many other clients have been subjected to the same situation and this unfair policy may affect countless more in the future. We cannot allow businesses to take advantage of consumers by manipulating prices and ignoring state and federal laws. This is against consumer rights and clear corporate responsibility.
We demand Fool In Love Festival to issue refunds or reimbursements to all clients who purchased tickets at higher prices during their release, and for them to change their pricing policy to reflect transparency and honesty. Adding to that, it is high time wiser, more compassionate, and ethical selling strategies are bestowed upon the ones genuinely supporting the music scene. Take a stand against deceptive pricing tactics and protect consumer rights. Sign this petition now. The petition currently has 1,029 signatures. The next goal is 1,500.
