New LA festival guidelines will give county officials final say on age restrictions
LA County’s government has given the green light on a new set of guidelines for concerts and festivals — primarily EDM events — at its taxpayer-owned venues. As it stands, the Fairplex, Whittier Narrows Recreation Area, and Grand Park remain to be the few venues left that will still welcome substantial electronic music festivals.
The government’s newly installed rules are a reaction to the deaths of two teenagers during HARD Summer last August. Tracy Nguyen and Katie Dix allegedly passed away from drug intoxication, and ever since, LA County has cracked down on its efforts to regulate large scale music events in the area. From now on, when deciding a festival’s age restriction, an assessment team composed of fire, sheriffs, medical, public health and other county officials will hold all decision-making power for events with 10,000 people or more. Promoters will be required to submit their proposals at least four months in advance, during which time the team will make a “threat assessment” by taking into account the event’s size and the likelihood of drug use or other kinds of medical emergencies. Should the team feel that the possibility of death is high, promoters will be given 60 days to devise a strict “event action plan” that encompasses limits or a full ban on alcohol sales, age restrictions, capacity limitations, earlier closing times, and added medical and security precautions.
Ultimately, county officials will have the final say as to whether or not a festival is approved to take place. According to Supervisor Hilda Solis, the new guidelines have been put in place to reduce the risk of death at large scale electronic music festivals: “Protecting the health and safety of L.A. County residents and visitors attending mass gatherings at our County Fairgrounds, and parks and recreation spaces is the overarching goal. Whether this means more water and medical stations, or increasing first responder availability in the surrounding community, today’s ordinance achieves this goal.”
Via: LA Weekly
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Categories: Music