After a storm of noise complaints about HARD Summer 2024, Inglewood, California, Mayor James T. Butts Jr. released a statement about the issues experienced at the electronic music festival held last Saturday and Sunday (August 3-4) at the city's Hollywood Park Complex at SoFi Stadium.
“We were perplexed by the sound propagation we experienced in the South Bay because there have been many outdoor concerts on the SoFi campus without this problem,” Batz wrote in a statement released by the Mayor's Office on Friday (Aug. 9) and was given to Bulletin board. “After meeting with representatives from the event organizer and the venue, we conducted a thorough review of the modifications and changes made between Saturday and Sunday of HARD Summer, specifically in response to noise complaints from neighboring communities.”
This is the first time that HARD Summer, which has been happening in locations around Southern California since 2008, has been held in Hollywood Park.
Butts' statement continues, “It is important to clarify that the sound and vibration issues experienced over the weekend were related to certain bass frequencies,” adding that these frequencies can be affected by stage location, reflection from buildings and weather factors such as wind. .
Batz notes that bass vibrations were first reported in nearby El Segundo on Saturday afternoon, shortly after the two-day festival began, although online commentators first reported experiencing noise problems on Friday (August 2) while the festival did a sound check. Local paper The Daily Breeze reported that “the El Segundo Police Department received so many complaints on the first night of the festival that law enforcement posted a notice on the X social media platform asking residents to stop calling 911.”
HARD Summer is produced by Insomniac Events, which organizes several major global electronic music festivals, including EDC Las Vegas. The HARD Summer 2024 lineup featured electronic artists such as Disclosure, Major Lazer, deadmau5, Sub Focus, Chase & Status, Sofi Tukker and many more. The 300-acre Hollywood Park Complex adjacent to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood featured four stages during the festival, with one located in the Stadium's American Airlines Plaza and the other three located around the complex's expansive parking lot.
Butch's statement notes that the stage at American Airlines Plaza “contributed significantly to the issue” given that the area is elevated. He adds that no stages will be allowed in this area for future events and that “we will need even more sound engineering with a more comprehensive plan in terms of sound and bass frequency management.”
After the noise complaints, Batz writes that “city officials engaged the event organizer and venue and implemented several critical adjustments at each stage and established enhanced monitoring plans for overall sound and bass levels. Additional sound engineers were strategically placed in areas of concern from Saturday afternoon through Sunday and were immediately dispatched to make the necessary adjustments in real time. As a result, there was a significant reduction in call volume on Sunday in the areas that were initially affected.”
He continues that despite these changes, some in the area continued to experience the effects of bass vibrations – including rattling windows and doors – adding that “with the lessons learned this weekend, we are prepared to better monitor and supervise future event organisers. minimize the impact of sound and vibration on the off-site community.”
Two other festivals are currently scheduled to take place at the Hollywood Park Complex: Fool In Love on August 31 with Lionel Richie and Diana Ross and, in March 2025, Rolling Loud. The lineup for the final event has not yet been announced.
“Over the past 10 years Inglewood has re-emerged as a premier hub for sports and entertainment,” Butts' statement concluded. “This title carries significant responsibility and we are committed to maintaining the highest standards.”
