Music festival CEO has disappeared after cancelling dates and allegedly racking up $6 million debt
Topics: World News
Aisha Nozari
Featured Image Credit: @sean.evans.10 / Facebook / @blendedfest / Instagram
Topics: World News
A music festival CEO has reportedly disappeared after suddenly cancelling upcoming dates
It's also alleged that Sean Evans, who is also the founder of Blended Festival, had racked up 'over $6 million in unpaid debt from the festival’.
Blended - which is billed as a ‘travelling wine and music festival’ - was set to head to Florida before Evan's sudden disappearance.
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According to Page Six, Evans’ move has allegedly left ‘hundreds of employees, vendors, talent and investors holding their hands out to get paid’.
The first of Blended Festival’s dates went ahead as normal in Nashville across the 10 and 11 September, with the Chainsmokers headlining.
This month, the likes of T.I. and G-Eazy were set to take to the stage in Tampa. However, Evans ‘went missing’ shortly after the events at Nashville.
On Blended Festival’s official Instagram account - which is run by a third party - an update addressed to ‘valued ticket holders’ was posted that claimed Evans had been missing since October.
The message alleged that Evans ‘has been absent as of October 1st. He disabled staff emails and left the team with no answers to be found’.
However, Page Six claims to have obtained an email from Evans dated 5 October that read: “Yesterday morning, I experienced a minor heart attack, specifically a form of cardiomyopathy… It’s been a bit scary… I’ve got some lifestyle decisions to make. I’m probably going to move to email only for a little while so I can manage the amount of input I receive.”
The outlet notes that people close to the situation are ‘sceptical’ of Evans’ ill health claims, saying: “The legitimacy of this claim is questionable, and no one can find proof of his being hospitalised.”
Five days later, on 10 October, Evans is said to have written in a follow-up email that his company ‘will be dissolving and ceasing business activity while we search for a potential acquirer for the brand IP (if one exists)’.
Evans allegedly continued: “If you’re receiving this, legal recommends that you do not communicate to anyone regarding MWS or Blended Fest affairs without consulting them first as you could unintentionally implicate or present yourself or the company in the wrong manner.”
MailOnline also claimed to have obtained an email from Blended Festival which alleged that a 'rogue actor' had 'hacked the Blended Festival social media accounts', which they said presented some information that was false and true.
They added: "Blended Fest will not take place as scheduled in Tampa, Austin and San Diego due to circumstances beyond the company’s control. We are working with entities and artists to take over the operations and hopefully reschedule these events.
"We are working expeditiously to provide appropriate refunds to those who purchased tickets, consistent with our terms and conditions, and to recover a significant number and amount of deposits paid to artists who will not be performing at these events."
UNILAD has approached Blended Festival for comment.