Lack of permits leads to cancellation of Bamboozle Festival

🔴 Bamboozle was poised for its first festival in 10 years in a new home

🔴 Fans increasingly became upset at a lack of promised big names in the lineup

🔴 Atlantic City pulled the plug when organizers didn't file for permits

ATLANTIC CITY — A failure to file applications was the death knell for Bamboozle festival when the city of Atlantic City refused to issue a final permit.

An online message Friday morning from organizers of the festival scheduled for Atlantic City's Bader Field Sunday, May 5 through Sunday, May 7 announced the cancellation, offering refunds at the point of purchase.

"After extensive discussions, we have made the heartbreaking decision to cancel Bamboozle 2023. An incredible amount of time, dedication, passion and hard work was invested into making this comback a success," read the announcement. The website and social media were devoid of any other posts or content.

Bamboozle cancellation annoucement (Bamboozle)

Back after a 10 year absence

The concert was supposed to be a new beginning for the festival which had not been held since 2012 in Asbury Park. More than 70 bands had been announced with tickets and VIP packages on sale. The first Bamboozle festival was in 2003 at the Stone Pony and then moved to the parking life of the old Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands before returning to Asbury Park.

Then the wheels started coming off as fans started referring to the festival as "scamboozle" after expensive early tickets did not lead to any headliners, according to a report by the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The biggest announced names were Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach, and Motionless in White.

An Instagram account called Scamboozlefest highlighted festival founder John D’Esposito threatening ticketholders who complained about the lineup. D’Esposito tried enticing fans with upgrades and merchandise.

Division of Consumer Affairs spokesman Robert Rowan told New Jersey 101.5 that at least 22 complaints had been received about the festival when D'Esposito refused to issue refunds.

The final nail was the lack of response to a request from the city for certificates of insurance, an emergency evacuation plan, a medical plan, mercantile license fees and a facility fee. A letter from the city solicitor gave a deadline of Thursday at 4 p.m. to comply or the event was subject to cancellation.

When no response came, the city pulled the plug.

"We asked for this information months in advance to protect the city and the taxpayers of Atlantic City. The event was fast approaching, and these issues were still unresolved. Therefore, my office established a reasonable deadline for festival organizers to submit the required documents to the city," City of Atlantic City Business Administrator Anthony Swan said in a statement.

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.

LOOK: 25 must-visit hidden gems from across the US

From secret gardens to underground caves, Stacker compiled a list of 25 must-visit hidden gems from across the United States using travel guides, news articles, and company websites.

Biggest NJ company layoff notices in 2022 and 2023

In some cases, workers may be offered back their jobs or transfers to different locations.

Here’s a look at more than a dozen of the biggest announcements within two years.

Up or down? Average property tax changes in NJ in 2022

Below are the average property tax bills for every municipality in New Jersey last year.

The towns are listed from the biggest cut in the average bill to the highest increase. On the county maps, the deeper red color means a higher increase above 2% whereas the darker green signifies a smaller increase or a reduction.

Each listing also shows how the average tax bill is split among the county, school and municipal governments.