'Too Much Of A Risk': Why BeachLife 2024 Was Canceled

REDONDO BEACH, CA — Public safety officials on Monday defended the decision to abruptly cancel the last day of BeachLife Festival 2024 and evacuate 7,500 people Sunday, citing life-threatening conditions posed by wind gusts topping 50 miles per hour.

The decision led to the cancellation of Sunday's performers, including ZZ Top, Gaby Moreno, Fleet Foxes, Asiatica, Trey Anastasio & Classic Tab, Sashamon and My Morning Jacket. On Monday, many fans were demanding refunds.

At about 5 p.m. on Sunday, the Redondo Beach Fire Department received indication that wind speeds had reached 43 mph with maximum gusts reaching 51.1 mph. Pre-scripted emergency response plans that were agreed upon by Beachlife staff and authorities stated that a ground stop of all activities and performances if wind speeds reached over 30 mph.

By 5:28 p.m. all attendees were notified to remain clear of the free-standing stages and seek refuge from potential hazards. Shortly after, authorities began evacuating guests and about 95 percent of attendees were safely relocated by 5:50 p.m.

Given the sustained winds and broad spectrum of complexities required to reopen the festival grounds, Fire Chief Patrick Butler and Police Chief Joe Hoffman made the order to cancel the remaining three hours of the show.

"Once the property was fully evacuated it would have required a full fire safety inspection including structural engineers to check for signs of stress fatigue on the stage before we could even consider allowing the public to return – it was too much risk to reopen for less than 3 hours,” Butler said.

Festivalgoers expressed their frustration on social media as there have been no updates so far on ticket refunds for the canceled day. Many attendees purchased one-day tickets for Sunday and booked travel and hotel accommodations in the area, attendees said.

"I feel that anyone, especially in today’s economy who took the time to be there, and utilized their limited resources to support this event needs to be fully compensated for their loss! This is essential to restoring some of the trust we had for this event," Facebook user Kenny Francis said.

Though no official announcement about ticket refunds has been made, festival organizers assured attendees that more information will be available soon.

"In the coming days, we will be unwinding the collateral consequences of this decision, and we ask for your support and patience while we do so," festival organizers said on Facebook.