Riot Fest has a special offer for fans after reaching a settlement with Ticketfly stemming from the platform’s May 30 cyber attack. Billboard reports the two companies have come to an agreement regarding financial compensation for the losses Riot Fest experienced during the attack. Instead of pocketing the cash, however, Michael Petryshyn plans to use the settlement to give fans access to reduced ticket prices for the 2019 festival as well as complimentary pass for this year’s event, which features performances by Elvis Costello, Jerry Lee Lewis and Beck.
During the cyber attack, fans experienced glitches when trying to purchase tickets and were met with the message, “Your Security Down im Not Sorry,” left by the hacker. Ticketfly, which is owned by Eventbrite, confirmed it had been hacked but said credit card information had not been exposed.
During Petryshyn’s recent interview with Billboard, he says of the breach, “We went up at at 8 pm and shortly thereafter Ticketfly went down. I’ve seen everything go wrong but this was crazy. We had to switch to a new ticketing platform at five in the morning and then we had to contact all these bands from the festival and get to stop pointing fans to a bunk link.”
According to Chicago Tribune, fans who purchased GA tickets for Riot Fest 2018 ( $160 plus fees), have the option to buy GA weekend passes to the 2019 event for the “old school” price of $99.98. Fans were also emailed a link to claim a complimentary pass for the 2019 festival, which takes place September 14-16 in Douglas Park.
Petryshyn told Billboard of the move, “Look, I can win this fight with Ticketfly and get a settlement and pocket the money. But what’s that going to do? That’s not who we are and it’s the antithesis of Riot Fest. And people are really loyal to us more than some festivals and there’s a certain ethos that follows us. It’s the most intimate 40,000 to 50,000 people festival out there. I’m here to make sure everyone is cool.”
Leave a Comment