Chicago’s ARC Music Festival has walked back a ticketing decision that was beginning to jeopardize its brand loyalty.
Last week, ARC Music Festival announced plans to expand to four days — to the dismay of attendees who had already purchased three-day presale passes. After a three-day PR nightmare, the Chicago gathering’s organizers have shared that the fourth day will be added to every ticket at no additional charge.
Not long after the initial Tuesday, March 10 announcement — which included the full lineup set to perform at Union Park from September 4-7 — fans noticed that loyalty pass holders would need to pay separately for Monday admission. The total cost would be higher than if they had purchased four-day passes at the time of the announcement.
“So loyalty passholders that paid $400 now have to pay $165 MORE to add a new day — but people getting tickets now can get 4-days for $500??????????” wrote one social media commenter.
Another chimed in, “We should be getting these for free especially those of us that have been buying Global VIP for the last 6 years!!!”
Later on Tuesday, ARC Music Festival addressed the backlash in a statement. “To all of our 3-Day Presale Pass Holders: As a thank you for trusting our vision, we are holding back a portion of discounted Monday passes that you will have access to soon,” it read. “Stay tuned.”
Three days and no shortage of outcry later, organizers shared that they would do presale pass holders one better. “First and foremost, thank you for your support during presale,” reads their Friday, March 13 statement. “For being a loyal fan we’ll be adding the 4th day of the festival at no additional fee.”
According to the announcement, each pass will automatically be upgraded through Front Gate Tickets. In addition, any pass holder who separately purchased a Monday ticket can apparently receive a refund through the platform’s customer service portal.
“We appreciate your patience, and look forward to celebrating together across an unforgettable four days in Union Park this Labor Day weekend,” the statement closed out.
The brainchild of Nick Karounos, Stuart Hackley, and John Curley of Auris Presents, ARC Music Festival aims to celebrate house music in the city of its birthplace. Techno and other genres also feature heavily on its lineups, with this year’s edition billing talent like Sara Landry, Stacey Pullen, and Anyma alongside local staples like Derrick Carter and Honey Dijon.
On their current tier, four-day passes to ARC Music Festival currently run $549 including fees. More information can be found on the event website.