Float Fest Cancelled

Float Fest, the summer gathering that combines a music festival with river tubing, has been canceled. It was scheduled to run July 20-21 in Gonzales.

It had been shaping up to be a landmark year for the six-year-running event. They’d booked a big-ticket lineup featuring the Flaming Lips, Ice Cube, Major Lazer, Portugal the Man, Gucci Mane, Kaskade, Big Boi, and Rainbow Kitten Surprise. The fest had also moved from its previous home at the Cool River Ranch in San Marcos to private land in Gonzales, which sits about 90 minutes southwest of Austin.

A representative for Float Fest informed the Chronicle this afternoon that on-site issues forced the cancellation and that tickets will be refunded. Early this afternoon, a worker at the Gonzales Chamber of Commerce said permitting had not been an issue.

Float Fest’s official statement reads:

“We are extremely saddened to announce today that Float Fest 2019 is being cancelled. This was a difficult decision to make, but due to several recent roadblocks outside of our control and in an effort to do right by our fans, the decision to cancel the event was the best option.

“We have been working around the clock to prepare the new festival site in Gonzales, but at this time we don’t feel the grounds are ready to fully showcase everything Float Fest is about. With weather, Gonzales saw an extraordinary amount of rain in May and June. Although the site cleared, the rain created delays of construction. We want to provide a first class experience to our fans, therefore we will be finishing out the site so that it is ready for the festival in 2020.

“All ticket holders will be 100% refunded for the cost of their tickets. That refund process will be initiated through our ticketing partner, Eventbrite, for all attendees who purchased ticket(s) through their site. There is no action necessary on your end and you can expect to see the refund on your credit/debit card statement within the next 5-7 business days.

“If you have questions about this entire process, please contact us at [email protected]. We are dedicated to answering any questions and concerns that you might have.

“We truly love our fans. We appreciate you sticking by us while we work hard to make this right.”