XO Festival fizzles out after venue pulls plug in Antioch

ANTIOCH, Calif. (KGO) -- The XO festival website still has the clock counting down to the start of the three-day music extravaganza scheduled for this Friday Saturday and Sunday. Big names like Ludacris and Vanilla Ice were promoted as coming to perform.

The Contra Costa Event Park says they contracted with World Class Entertainment and promoter Sami Habib in December and were paid over $27,000 for the venue.

Contra Costa Event Park CEO Joe Brengle said it was a go until the promoter failed to provide proof of liability insurance for all the contractors at the event. They pulled the plug on things this morning out of safety concerns.

Vendors rolling in with equipment to set up were stunned at the news.

Some, like this ATM company, canceled employee vacations to accommodate the music festival.

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"We were operating in good faith, doing a favor for someone in desperate need of not having cash at their festival and when we get here we find out the festival has been canceled. I'm left holding the bag," said Dan Connolly of the Armed Courier Service.

So are concert-goers who spent hundreds of dollars on festival passes.

World Class Entertainment issued a statement saying "We thank those people buying tickets to our festival. You will all be receiving refunds through our ticketing agent."

For local musicians, it's a lost opportunity.

"Mad, I thought big names are coming to my home city and I thought it was a chance to be on stage and perform with them but guess not. I'm furious now," said John Mason of the band JM3.

World Class Entertainment did not call us back. They claim online that lower than anticipated ticket sales led to the cancellation.