Is SoSF the Bay Area's Fyre Festival?

San Francisco Chronicle​

5 hours ago

What was supposed to be San Francisco's hottest new Pride Weekend celebration has devolved into confusion and controversy, leaving many ticket holders frustrated and struggling to secure refunds.
SoSF, a waterfront concert scheduled for Saturday, June 28, with headliner Kehlani, faced backlash earlier this month after the Oakland R&B singer withdrew from the lineup. Her exit followed a string of concert cancellations due to her outspoken support for Palestinians.
DJ Adam Kraft, founder of event company Fake and Gay, and drag queen Nicki Jizz, who created the 'Reparations' drag show, subsequently dropped out, citing disagreements with the festival's stance on the issue.
Organizers offered refunds to ticket holders due to the lineup changes, but mere days before the outdoor event, many report they're struggling to get their money back as promised.
'It's pretty sketchy behavior,' Jackson Bowers, 29, told the Chronicle. In the weeks that followed the lineup changes, organizers changed the event's name, switched its venue and wiped its social media presence. 'I was excited that they offered refunds but now it seems like they're just totally ghosting us.'
The Cole Valley resident said that organizers sent out an email on June 5 announcing the lineup change. The event, set to take place outdoors at 900 Marin St., across the street from Pier 80's warehouse where it was originally booked, is still set to feature 'Nasty' singer Tinashe and Grammy-winning pop star Kim Petras, among others.
After consulting his friends who had also purchased tickets, Bowers decided to request a refund on Thursday, June 19, via the email address provided by organizers. He said he paid a little more than $100 for one ticket.
The Chronicle has reached out to SoSF organizers for comment.
'I texted my friend and I asked him, 'If we were rich, would we have fallen for Fyre Festival?' because I kind of feel like I did,' said Manuel Gallardo, referencing the disastrous luxury music festival that was meant to take place in the Bahamas in 2017 but was quickly canceled after its initial attendees lacked basic amenities.
The 32-year-old Mission District resident said that he spent more than $200 for two tickets after fees, but decided to request a refund after the lineup changed and the event rebranded to Pride 2025 Block Party, sparking confusion. Like Bowers, he is waiting for his SoSF ticket refund, despite having reached out to organizers several times since June 18.
'I don't have very strong feelings about the political arguments that are being made, but I think that the response to Kehlani's political stance was offputting to me,' he said. 'It's a bummer that the event didn't really seem that it had its attendees top of mind or made us feel very good about going.'
Oakland resident Julie F. was similarly bothered by the way organizers responded to the 'After Hours' singer's politics, and said that she and her partner requested refunds to ensure that they're 'standing in solidarity with what we feel is the deplatforming of Kehlani.'
She declined to share her full last name due to safety concerns regarding her political opinions.
While Julie's partner reached out at the beginning of the month and received a refund on June 11, she is still awaiting a response after sending her own request on June 15, plus several follow-ups.
Jeshua John, 31, also received a refund on June 11 after submitting his request on June 8. The Haight-Ashbury resident said he decided not to support the event because it didn't align with his values, and he wanted to respect the local artists who had voiced concerns.
'I think it's important to not just have your ear to the ground but also be able to take cues from local artists that we all know and respect,' he said. 'I just feel better about myself knowing where my dollars are going.'
John said that he was already skeptical of organizers when they announced the lineup change on Instagram, and screenshotted the post in which they asserted that all ticket holders would be eligible for a refund. The post has since been deleted.
'It's been frustrating but not necessarily surprising,' Julie, 27, said. 'They haven't really been very forward about what to do, what the process is, and also applying an unfair standard for people based on when they had the capacity to process refunds.'
She said she paid $95.61 for her ticket by using a discount code, and has attempted to cancel her transaction directly through her credit card, though the process typically takes a few weeks.
Even if their refunds aren't issued before Saturday, Julie, Bowers and Gallardo all said that they don't plan to attend. Instead, Bowers plans to hang out in Dolores Park, while Gallardo says he'll check out a different event. Julie doesn't have anything lined up yet.
Gallardo noted that he was particularly disappointed by the SoSF shakeup because he wanted to support the revitalization of San Francisco's party scene.
'I just feel like with nightlife kind of coming back in the city after the pandemic I was wanting to support something that was gonna be new,' he said.
Bowers also noted he was looking forward to something different.
'It's a shame since everything has unfolded since then,' he said.