AEG Presents, which owns Coachella festival promoter Goldenvoice, has reportedly sent a cease and desist letter to a small event called ‘Floatchella’ in Mystic, Connecticut.
‘Floatchella’ is an event that features local bands and DJs performing on a dock, while the audience watches from small boats, paddle boards or other paddle craft that float in Mystic’s inner harbour.
The festival is organised by the Mystic Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Mystic Merchants Association. The event was first held in 2020, with 300 paddle craft in attendance and music fans watching from the nearby shore.
The event is free, but organisers sell ‘Floatchella’ merchandise to help subsidise the event. Following the legal letter, organisers will now call the event Floatfest, Music on the Mystic River.
Bruce Flax, president of the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce told CelebrityAccess: “The Chamber was surprised that our non-profit in the southeast corner of Connecticut garnered the attention of AEG Worldwide for a Coachella naming situation.
“The event was never mistaken as having any association to Coachella for the 1,500 people who attended the last two years. We will lose some money from the merchandise we need to dispose of, but we will weather the storm and the event will live on as Floatfest, Music on the Mystic River.”
AEG has not commented on the case.
Image: Alejandro Luengo on Unsplash