ÎleSoniq announced on Monday evening it would be changing its bag policy, only allowing transparent bags no larger than 30 by 30 by 23 centimetres on festival grounds this weekend.
The announcement was made only five days prior to the start of the event on Aug. 8, upsetting many ticketholders who say they now need to purchase a new bag at the last minute.
The festival posted a notice of the policy change on Instagram before later sending an email to festivalgoers outlining the new rules. Almost immediately, the post racked up thousands of comments by attendees upset with the last-minute change. It has now been deleted.
Following feedback from festivalgoers, ÎleSoniq modified their bag policy to allow all non-transparent hydration bags on the ground, provided they are empty upon entry. Previously, only hydration packs that did not contain a storage pocket larger than the hydration compartment were allowed.
“Given that Osheaga took place at the same venue just one week earlier and permitted small opaque fanny packs, I would appreciate an explanation as to why ÎleSoniq has adopted a significantly more restrictive policy with only days’ notice,” wrote one user under the festival’s original Instagram post.
Other commenters noted that it can be difficult to find transparent bags in stores in the middle of festival season and cited concerns that many online retailers cannot guarantee delivery before the start of the event.
“Why not allow small non-transparent bags? It’s impossible to order clear bags within four days, and it is extremely wasteful to expect everybody to express ship a new clear bag,” wrote another user under the new post.
Organizers for the music festival say the changes were made to speed up entry to the site and promote safety among festival goers.
Alongside hydration bags, medical bags as well as bags related to accessibility, child care or other essential needs are also allowed if within maximum permitted dimensions and after inspection by staff.
Three weeks prior to the change in policy, attendees were notified via email that, while the festival strongly encourages the use of clear bags, smaller, non-transparent bags or fanny-packs with a maximum dimension of 23 by 15 by 10 centimeters would be allowed at ÎleSoniq.
Since the announcement of the new policies, a group opposing what they refer to as “ÎleSoniq’s abusive rules” has already garnered over 150 members on Facebook, with many stating that they have filed a complaint with the Office de la protection du consommateur, Quebec’s consumer protection agency.
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