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.”
Despite the “significant damage” caused by the overnight rains, the Roots Picnic’s leadership decided to push back the schedule to ensure the first day could go on.
He continued, “Ultimately, we chose to take extra time to repair the site to ensure safety for all ticket holders, which is why there was a 3hr delay. (Yes I got numerous messages from attendees, family, everyone in the tristate) but we prioritized caution above all else.”
However, concertgoers still believe better communication and accommodation could have lessened the blow of the delays. Frustrated ticketholders also noted the lack of consideration for those with disabilities or out-of-state attendees.
“People here pay so much, at least give us water or communicate better,” shared VIP ticketholder Uraina Dunmore, who travelled to the event from Washington, D.C. “You have people with medical conditions, allergies … and they don’t know nothing.”
The Roots Picnic also released its own statement apologizing for people’s experience with the delays, but emphasized that its focus remains on making the experience safe for everyone involved.
“We would like to say sorry,” shared the event organizers. “Please understand safety will always be our number 1 priority. We worked hard to make sure every artist still got on stage and extended the festival hours so all could perform without violating city noise curfew … today is a new day and we will do better.”
The two-day music event, however, continued forth as the weather issue cooled down. However, upset attendees still aim to seek refunds for their distress.
