Pearls are often clutched in the Hamptons, the famous Long Island escape for well-to-do New Yorkers, but perhaps prematurely in the case of a fledgling music festival which just went up in one of its beach towns.
The Palm Tree Music Festival, co-founded by hitmaking DJ Kygo, presented its fourth east coast installment in the town of Southampton last weekend. A media report and some peeved social posts about long shuttle wait times, an alleged lack of water and low-stocked bars popped up amid sets from the likes of Swedish House Mafia and Sofi Tukker.
“We understand that the wait times for the free shuttle buses were long and it was frustrating for the guests affected. We are proud that, even with these transportation delays, all guests were safely off-site within about 90 minutes of the end of the festival,” Michael Diaz, CEO of Palm Tree Crew Holdings, told Variety. “That said, we hear the complaints, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, and we promise it won’t happen again.”
Diaz and company have staged similar festivals in high-brow markets like Lake Tahoe and Aspen where, we imagine, the feedback flows like a Hamptons housewife asking to speak to the manager at Nick and Toni’s.
While post-event social sentiment said there were safety concerns on the ground, the festival said not a single incident was reported to over 100 security personnel staffed from local police, state troopers and the private sector. In terms of water scarcity, Diaz added that the event “did not in any way run out of water. There was water available at every bar and waterspouts throughout the festival grounds.” A few bars ran out of beer but, thankfully “wine, canned cocktails and water were readily available all night.”
Palm Tree Crew makes an interesting case study in the pressures organizers of roving live events can face with hyper-connected attendees. For the past three years, the event was staged at the Westhampton Airport. Less than a month before this year’s program was scheduled, the Federal Aviation Administration pulled the festival’s permit.
“We worked around the clock for our fans to bring the show we had promised. And we did just that, with over 8 hours of incredible music; the hottest apparel brands; and incredible food, drink, and vibes in the heart of the Hamptons,” said Diaz.
The biggest upshot, said organizers, was finding new hosts in the Shinnecock Nation – the oldest self-governing Native tribe in New York.
“[The Shinnecock] graciously welcomed us to their land at the eleventh hour and have already invited us back next year,” concluded Diaz.