End of BeachLife Festival Wind Ruins; The organizer takes care of the cancellation

The frontman of the band that presents the BeachLife music festival in Redondo Beach, which had to end early Sunday evening due to dangerous winds, said Monday that he fully supports the decision of the police and firefighters to interrupt the event on behalf of the public. security.

“I am well aware and take very seriously the responsibility inherent in producing a large-scale event to prioritize the safety and security of each individual participating above all else, including economics or any other potential outcome,” said Allen Sanford, CEO of BeachLife. a statement released by the City of Redondo Beach.

“Although I am a festival producer, I am first and foremost a father, husband and community member, and I wholeheartedly support (Redondo Beach Fire Chief Patrick Butler)’s decision to evacuate. “, did he declare. “Yesterday, the Beachlife Festival and the City of Redondo Beach Police and Fire Department collectively demonstrated to the community how seriously we take this responsibility by quickly identifying a weather threat and conducting a large-scale, safe evacuation and fast. »

The festival was in its third and final day Sunday when the windy conditions that affected the area for most of the day worsened late in the afternoon. According to city officials, police and firefighters worked with festival organizers before the event and developed protocols that included a safety assessment if wind speeds exceeded 30 mph, which could potentially compromise structures. of the freestanding stage.

Around 5 p.m. Sunday, wind speeds were measured that exceeded 40 mph, and a “ground shutdown of all performance” was initiated, officials said. Police and firefighters began evacuating the coastal venue’s roughly 7,500 patrons, with the bulk of that effort completed by 5:50 p.m.

BeachLife officials initially said the evacuation would last an hour while weather conditions were assessed. Shortly thereafter, however, as windy conditions persisted, Butler and Police Chief Joe Hoffman made a “command decision to cancel the remaining three hours of the show” and informed Sanford of this decision.

“Once the property was fully evacuated, a full fire safety inspection, including structural engineers, would have been required to check for signs of stress fatigue on the stage before we could even consider allowing the public back – it “It was too risky to reopen for less than three hours.”

The group My Morning Jacket was to be the headliner on Sunday evening.

BeachLife officials broke the news to ticket holders, posting on social media that the decision had been made to cancel the evening’s performances “due to a severe wind event that put the general public at risk.” “.