BROOKLYN — Organizers of the Great GoogaMooga food and music festival, which had promised to rock Brooklyn’s Prospect Park this past weekend, have agreed to refund the ticket prices for those who splurged on VIP access for the highly anticipated event.
On the event’s website, the co-founders issued an apology to “Extra Mooga” ticket buyers, who spent $250 each for unlimited access to food and drinks at the outdoor festival.
“We promised you a terrific Extra Mooga experience this past weekend and we didn’t deliver, particularly in providing an adequate amount of food and beverage on Saturday,” the co-founders said in a letter posted on the GoogaMooga website.
“We’re very sorry if we disappointed you,” they added. “To officially extend our apology, we’re offering you a 100% refund of your Extra Mooga ticket price, including handling fees.”
To receive their refunds, Extra Mooga ticket holders must email a request to refunds@googamooga.com within 30 days, the letter states.
Complaints about the GoogaMooga festival began pouring into the event’s Facebook page on the first day of the two-day event. Patrons slammed the organizers for failing to plan for the tens of thousands who attended. Food and beer sold out within hours, some complained. Water was hard to come by, and the lines turned some people away as soon as they arrived.
“I left hungry and sober,” one woman wrote on Facebook.
“We left within 20 minutes of it being a total bomb,” another patron wrote. “If you enjoy being in line for hours plus minutes, then good luck. Epic failure.”
“I won't be back to GoogaMooga,” another man wrote. “What did you think, there were going to be 14 people there? You're lucky no one died, seriously.”
Those with general admission tickets to the festival were part of an online lottery for free entry, and instead purchased food and drink a la carte at the festival.
For them, organizers posted a brief message on the homepage of the GoogaMooga website.
“A huge thank you to everyone who helped make the inaugural Great GoogaMooga so special,” they wrote.
“And to those who had a frustrating experience on Saturday – we are sorry. We truly regret the first year glitches and really appreciate your patience as we worked to smooth them out.”
