Following two attendee deaths in consecutive years, Lightning in a Bottle (LiB) will not return to Lake San Antonio this year after a multiyear agreement was terminated.
LiB will now start two weeks earlier and run from May 8-13. Event producer Do Lab is in the final stages of securing their new venue and expect to be finalized in the next 2-3 weeks
The annual festival can no longer be held at the San Antonio Recreation Area in Bradley, Calif. due to changes in county regulations, according to LiB. The Monterey County Parks Department has stopped managing big events in the area and the Parks Commission is transitioning Lake San Antonio to strictly day hours, which means no overnight camping.
“Though we were planning on having LIB in Bradley for many years to come, we also recognized that San Antonio Recreation Area was far from perfect (the lake has receded away from the festival grounds again),” a LiB press release read.
The festival’s previous location in Monterey County during Memorial Day weekend was ideal for Cal Poly students, but the changes have left some students rethinking attending the festival this year.
“My whole friend group and other friend groups I know were completely ready to go, but we decided to get full [Super Earlybird] refunds for to not buy tickets at all after the dates changed,” communication studies junior Megan Deegan said. “If they decided to move it to another three-day weekend, I probably would’ve still gone, but I can’t afford to miss that much school with the new date.”
The festival also decreased the number of tickets available by 25 percent to help create a more intimate feel, according to Do Lab.
Earlybird tickets will go on sale when the new location is released. The lineup will come out in February. Those who already purchased Super Earlybird tickets and wish to get a refund can do so on LiB’s website by Feb. 1.