On behalf of everyone at DWP, I want to personally thank you for the support and encouragement you have shown us over the past year. It broke my heart to see the end of Rock on the Range and I don’t think that I ever effectively communicated that to you. It became my mission to bring you something even better. I could not be prouder of what my team accomplished at Sonic Temple this weekend. It was so fulfilling to see all of you enjoy the amazing bands, art installations, comedy, and culinary experiences. In almost every way, the innauguaral Sonic Temple was everything I had imagined it to be. Until tonight.
At the end of the day, there are two things that we can’t control and that really put an outdoor festival at risk – lightning and wind. Beginning early today, we were experiencing high intermittent winds that caused concern. For safety reasons, first we shut down the Wave Stage. Then we cleared the floor of the Main Stage for safety. We worked with Columbus’ incredible Fire Marshals, Law Enforcement, the State Highway Patrol and Fair Grounds, as well as the amazing team at MAPFRE Stadium, to keep the Echo Stage going as long as we could until the collective decision was made to evacuate at 5:49PM. Unfortunately, each of these decisions meant you didn’t get to see another band. The DWP team and I take great lengths to hand select every artist and I want you to know how much it personally pains me for you to not get to experience even one of them.
Yet despite the disappointment, we are so grateful for how quickly and safely you exited the festival grounds and how patient you were until we could re-open the doors. It was incredibly rewarding for me to see you all safely come back. We could feel your energy and excitement building as we got ready for the Foo Fighters to take the stage. And WOW did they give us an absolutely epic performance.
We have already started planning next year’s Sonic Temple and have some very exciting things in the works. Columbus is a special place for me and this weekend was incredibly important in my relationship with each of you. I hope that we have regained the faith and trust that you have shown us all these years. We’re already looking forward to next year!
