It is such a new case that not even the festivals had considered it yet, but what happens to the tickets of a festival if there are so many artists canceling their performances that the festival ends up looking like another one?
That is what is happening with a good handful of Spanish and Barcelona festivals, which have seen how, as a result of the involvement of the U.S. fund KKR in its organization, many artists cancel their performances causing a rebound effect: the attendees of these festivals demand the return of the tickets, either for political reasons or because they consider that the festival lineup is no longer the same for which they bought the tickets.
We know that returning a ticket to a festival is usually difficult and getting a refund, unless it is for reasons of force majeure, almost impossible. But with the current situation the question: there is a legal framework that could cover the refund, and many festivals have opened an extraordinary way to do it, just because of the extraordinary situation. Therefore, we explain all the details you need to know if you want to return your ticket to a festival.
What does the law say?
Most festivals do not contemplate refunds for ideological reasons, but the situation changes if there is a “substantial modification” in the lineup. This is what the Federation of Consumers and Users (CECU) explains in this report in the newspaper Público: “The groups are an essential part of the contract. If they are significantly altered, the consumer can claim a refund of the amount paid”.
That is the margin that experts see room for a legal claim. Thus, customers could rely on Articles 1124 of the Civil Code and Articles 85.2 and 86.1 of the Consolidated Text of the Law for the Defense of Consumers and Users to support their claims, even including additional expenses such as transportation or accommodation if economic damage is demonstrated.
What do the festivals say?
The usual hermeticism of the festivals around this type of issues has been broken after the waves of requests for the return of tickets. Many have made statements on the matter or have opened sections on their website to provide information on the matter or even to facilitate the refund of tickets.
For this reason, we recommend that you contact your festival of confidence or look in their pages about their ticket refund policy in the current editions.
How can I claim my tickets?
- Request a refund directly to the festival organizers. In the case of Sónar, the management has announced that it will consider requests for refunds on ethical grounds, something unusual in the industry.
- Collect evidence of the cancellation. Save screenshots of the initial lineup, official communiqués or artist publications confirming their withdrawal.
- Contact a consumer organization. Associations such as CECU can advise you on the legal steps and help you channel a collective claim if necessary.
- Go to regional consumer organizations. In Catalonia, the Agència Catalana del Consum can mediate between consumers and companies.