NYC pushed to ban Central Park music festival after $620K in damages: I have never been a fan
New York City should ban an annual concert in Central Park after last year’s festivities caused more than $620,000 worth of damages to the greenspace, one local politician said.City Council member Gale Brewer isn’t feeling the beat of the Global Citizens Festival, asking Mayor Eric Adams to tell organizers of the one-day event they’re no longer welcome on the park’s Great Lawn because of annual damages and closures.Brewer wrote in a letter to Adams on Thursday that the event “invariably obstructs the flow of foot traffic, creates noise pollution” — and cuts off a large section of the park for days.The Great Lawn was closed to prepare for this year’s event on Sept.22, a full week before the star-studded free concert that drew 60,000 attendees this year despite rainy weather.
It was set to reopen on Tuesday but remained closed Friday as the park assesses damages from the event, according to the nonprofit Central Park Conservancy, which manages the park.“The closure of the Great Lawn from September 22 to date has prevented New Yorkers and visitors from enjoying the space,” the Brewer wrote of the free festival.“This is almost a two-week closure in order to accommodate the installation of heavy machinery, barricades, and large stages for what is, once again, solely a one-day event.”Saturday’s rain-soaked concert – featuring performances from rappers Post Malone and Jelly Roll, pop star Doja Cat, reggaetón artist Rauw Alejandro, South Korean girl group BLACKPINK and more – came just a year after the 2023 festival’s muddy mosh pit caused about $622,000 in damages to the park.The festival’s board of directors stepped in to foot the itemized bill, which mostly paid for sod removal and replacement, according to a Patch report.But the outlet noted a third-party turf grass expert concluded that only 15,000 square feet of turf grass warranted replacement, not the 300,000 square feet that the Central Park Conservancy contended.Since 2018, the...