The organizer of the S2O Taiwan Songkran Music Festival and government officials would meet on Monday to negotiate a solution for refunds after 11 international headliners were dropped from the event at the last minute due to insufficient COVID-19 planning, Consumer ombudsman Chen Chin-yi (陳瑾儀) said yesterday.
Local governments could fine the organizer, Spunite, if the parties fail to reach an agreement, she added.
The two-day festival over the weekend was to feature international performers, including CL of the South Korean girl band 2NE1, Dutch DJs R3hab and Yellow Claw, and US musician KSHMR.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
However, Spunite on Friday afternoon announced that the foreign performers would not be able to attend, as the Ministry of Culture had not approved the company’s application for a quarantine exemption, and COVID-19 pandemic preparations for foreign performers and staff.
The ministry said Spunite submitted an incomplete plan on Wednesday, despite numerous reminders, leaving no time to make changes and send the plan to the Central Epidemic Command Center for approval.
Spunite has refused to offer refunds to concertgoers, citing its contractual “right to change venue or lineup,” instead allowing attendees to bring a friend for free.
The incident has led to thousands of complaints, including from Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Mark Ho (何志偉), who held a news conference at the legislature yesterday demanding that Spunite offer refunds to the more than 20,000 people who bought tickets.
Decrying fraud as a “national shame,” Ho called the incident a “new type of concert scam,” in which the organizer sold tickets with the promise of featuring star performers who never showed up.
The organizer not only refused to offer refunds, but also tried to “trick” people into believing that the ministry was at fault, he said.
A concertgoer identified as Heidi told reporters that she bought a ticket on Aug. 3 for NT$3,400, only to discover on Friday that CL, the artist she bought the ticket to see, was not attending.
She called Spunite many times seeking a full refund, but never received a response, she said.
According to ministry regulations governing concert contracts, ticket holders have the right to at least a partial refund if a change is announced before the event and a full refund if it is not announced, Chen said.
Taipei consumer ombudsman Kung Chien-ya (龔千雅) on Saturday said that following negotiations, Spunite agreed to remove text from its Web site and Facebook saying that no refunds would be given.
She also advised ticket holders who did not attend the event to keep their tickets if they wish to seek refunds.
The organizer has not said whether it would offer compensation to people who did attend, Kung added.
Additional reporting by CNA
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
RSS