Hardwell addressed the crowd during his set at SAGA Festival, criticizing the production staff and ultimately canceling his performance. The world-renowned Dutch DJ stated, “They didn’t pay me any f***ing money to be here tonight, but I’m still here. I’m still here.” Due to equipment malfunctions that made it impossible for him to perform, Hardwell apologized and decided to cancel his set.
Following Hardwell’s expression of frustration, SAGA Festival issued a counter-statement on social media:
“Well, Hardwell, we’re sorry that Rita Ora, Sickick, Loreen and all the DJs on five other stages got to play on the first day of SAGA and you didn’t. The equipment traveled all the way from the Netherlands, just like you. The same set seems to be working perfectly fine for Will Sparks right now.”
SAGA’s response goes on to state how it has worked tirelessly to curate a special year for both artists and ravers:
“We would’ve solved any technical issues effortlessly and fast, if you would’ve let us and not stopped your set so soon. We’ve done all we could to accommodate your requests, including agreed payments. We’re sorry to (y)our fans. They would have loved to finally watch you perform in Bucharest. Nothing but love, and we wish you well.”
You can read the entire response below:
While the specifics of the incident remain unclear, Hardwell continues to receive support and love from his fans. One fan commented, “You have to be really really REALLY pissed & fed up to publicly say those things. Good on him, hope he gets paid elsewhere.” Another fan wrote, “You know you messed up when Hardwell is pissed…Never seen him this upset.” Fans also pointed out that a characteristic of Hardwell’s sets involves live mixing, speculating that this could have contributed to other performers playing without issue.
Despite the controversy, the event organizers highlighted that all other artists performed without problems. The incident at SAGA Festival has left the community buzzing, eager to see how Hardwell and the festival will move forward from this unexpected turn.
Stay tuned to Moon Lvnding for more EDM coverage and community updates.
