The Worst Disasters In The History Of Music Festivals

Jackson Sawa | February 5, 2018 2:13 pm

For the most part, when people hear music festivals, they think about people frolicking around listening to live music and enjoying a brief escape from reality. While they are designed for enjoyment and fun, they can sometimes turn into hell on earth. Whether it’s stampeding people, unpredictable weather, or terrorist attacks, these are some of the biggest tragedies that have happened at music festivals.

Can you imagine a festival where the security is the Hells Angels?

Erie Canal Soda Pop Festival (1972)

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Photo Credits: Everfest

In 1972, it was announced that there was a music festival that was going to be even bigger than Woodstock. The lineup featured bands such as Black Sabbath, the Allman Brothers, and the Eagles. At the last minute, the Mayor of Evansville Indiana, where the concert was going to take place banned the festival at the last minute. The concert ended up moving to a place known as Bill Island where 200,000 people flooded into the makeshift venue. The weather and crowds lead to mass confusion which eventually turned into a drug-fueled full-blown riot. Cars were broken into and overturned, people were mugged and hurt, and eventually, at the end of the weekend, the stage was set on fire.