The 2025 Roots Picnic left fans with a not-so-desirable experience. Attendees shared their own frustrations after overnight storms caused entry delays and long lines.
While the Philadelphia-based event sought to open its gates at noon, subsequent pushbacks led to the crowd getting antsy. Although set as an all-day affair from May 30 to June 1, heavy rain the previous day led to a delay in opening the grounds.
After spending hours with no guarantee on when they would enter, those in line began to protest. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, chants of “let me in” echoed down the lines before the gates finally opened around 3:30pm.
By the time some attendees got into the festival grounds at the Mann Center, the day had already neared its end. This first-day issue left many ticketholders feeling disrespected by the concert organizers and the lack of communication.
“The way the event was handled was really disrespectful to the people in attendance who spent their money,” wrote attendee Khalifa White, via email, Sunday morning. “Everyone deserves a refund & additional compensation for hours in line with no access to a bathroom & no resources for disabled attendees.”
However, Questlove, drummer for the Roots, took to social media as the backlash began to spread like its own storm. He revealed that the concert organizers had nearly cancelled the first day’s festivities due to unsafe conditions caused by the downpour.
“Aight—— I know today wasn’t “ideal” for The Roots Picnic in this 18th year of 2025. (This year has been particularly challenging to say the least),” began Questlove, noting how transformation plans take roughly two weeks to complete ahead of the concert. “We nearly canceled The Picnic because conditions were unsafe for everyone involved.”
Source: Roots Picnic Faces Backlash From Attendees After Storms Cause Delays And Long Lines
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