New York sues Evolutions Festival promoters over unrefunded tickets
New York Attorney General Letitia James sued the promoters of Evolutions Festival on 29 September, accusing them of keeping more than $264,000 from ticket buyers and vendors after the 2025 event never happened. She is seeking full restitution, civil penalties and a ban on future events in the state unless the promoters post a $500,000 bond, Billboard reported.
The lawsuit names Evolutions Festival LLC, 845 Vibrations LLC, Michael Brown and Justin Brown as defendants. The Attorney General's office says the companies and the two men organised and promoted the festival.
Evolutions was a three-day electronic music event planned for September 2025 in upstate New York. The 2025 edition was scheduled for 5 to 7 September at the Sugar Mountain Performing Arts Center in Canadea, Allegany County. Alison Wonderland, Of The Trees and Ganja White Night were booked as headliners. The festival was first held in 2024.
Tickets went on sale on 20 March 2025, with prices ranging from around $200 to more than $700, according to the Attorney General's office. Organisers collected $243,158.04 for 1,157 tickets bought by 521 people. They also collected $21,662.75 from 28 small businesses for stalls in a planned "vendor village," with fees of $650 to $1,150 per vendor.
On 26 August 2025, ten days before the gates were due to open, the festival said on social media that the event was being "postponed." The cancellation came less than two weeks before it was set to start. Organisers blamed the venue, saying Sugar Mountain had failed to secure necessary permitting.
The venue disputed that account. Sugar Mountain said it had all required permits and that Evolutions had failed to provide signed contracts and proof of liability insurance. Organisers later told the Attorney General they planned to issue refunds only if they succeeded in pending litigation against the venue.
Almost no one was repaid. The lawsuit alleges Evolutions never offered refunds to the 521 people who bought tickets and refused to return more than $21,000 collected from vendors. Only 11 ticket buyers received refunds, all after contacting their credit card companies and disputing the charges.
The investigation began after multiple consumer complaints about missing refunds. Attorney General James alleges the organisers violated New York's Arts and Cultural Affairs Law by failing to keep advance ticket-sale funds in escrow, money held separately to protect buyers, or to provide other required financial protection.
The office is seeking restitution for all ticket holders and vendors, civil penalties and an order blocking the promoters from holding future events in New York unless they provide the bond. The suit seeks a $5,000 fine for every violation, totaling nearly $6 million if fully awarded.
