The families of two women killed in a shooting during last year’s Beyond Wonderland festival in the US are suing the event’s organisers and security companies.

The electronic music festival, which was promoted by Live Nation’s Insomniac subsidiary, was held last June at the 27,500-cap Gorge Amphitheatre, near George, Washington State, about 150 miles east of Seattle.

Attendees Brandy Escamilla and Josilyn Ruiz were shot by fellow festivalgoer James M. Kelly in the event’s campsite on the evening of 17 June 2024. Three other people were also injured. Following his arrest, Kelly allegedly told police he had ingested hallucinogenic mushrooms, retrieved a handgun and ammunition from his vehicle, which he had parked in the campground, and proceeded to open fire, striking several people and killing the victims, who were walking nearby.

Filed in King County, Washington by law firm Panish, Shea, Ravipudi (PSR), the complaint alleges that Live Nation “woefully fell short” in enforcing its policies prohibiting the possession of drugs and weapons on its premises and campgrounds.

“Never should someone’s life be taken so senselessly and tragically at a music event”

According to PSR, it is seeking to hold Live Nation, Insomniac and the security companies working the event “accountable for their egregiously deficient conduct and security protocols that resulted in the tragic deaths of these two women and injuries to three other people”.

“Live Nation has the means and the duty to make sure security is the highest priority for their concert patrons,” says a joint statement by the Escamilla and Ruiz families. “Never should someone’s life be taken so senselessly and tragically at a music event.”

Live Nation is yet to publicly respond to the lawsuit.

Kelly, a member of the US Army, has pleaded not guilty to all criminal charges in connection with the shooting and is due to go on trial in August.

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The 2024 festival season is continuing to take shape, with the likes of Fuji Rock, North Sea Jazz Festival and End of the Road the latest to show their hands.

Kraftwerk are the first headliner confirmed for Smash’s Fuji Rock, which will be held between 26-28 July at Naeba Ski Resort in Tokyo, Japan.

The first wave of artists also includes Girl in Red, Turnstile, Floating Points, Ride, Yussef Dayes, Angie McMahon, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Erika De Casier, Eyedress, Fontaines DC, Hiroko Yamamura, The Last Dinner Party, No Party for Cao Dong, NOTD, Rufus Wainwright and Yin Yin.

Taking place from 12-14 July at Rotterdam Ahoy in the Netherlands, North Sea Jazz Festival will present concerts from Sting, Raye, Corinne Bailey Rae, Masego, Sampha, Brittany Howard, Noname, Tems, Black Pumas, Benjamin Clementine, Vulfpeck, Sting, Jamie Cullum, Knower and Reuben James, among others.

ARTmania Festival in Sibiu, Transylvania, Romania will host acts such as Korn, Spiritbox, Satyricon, The Flower Kings, Borknagar, Monuments, Taine, Awake the Demons and Alpha Q from 26-28 July.

Finland’s Flow Festival, which is set for 9-11 August, has added Raye, Idles, Tinashe, Alvvays, Blonde Redhead, L’Impératrice, Miriam Bryant Karri Koira, Ege Zulu & Orchestra, Yeboyah, Vesta, Jesse Markin, Jambo, Knife Girl, Glayden and Shrty. Fred again.., Pulp, The Smile, PJ Harvey, Jessie Ware, Denzel Curry, Overmono and Kenya Grace have already been announced for the event in Suvilahti, Helsinki.

Shania Twain will make her BST Hyde Park debut on 7 July, with special guests The Corrs and more names to be announced. Twain joins Andrea Bocelli (5 July), Robbie Williams (6 July) and Stray Kids (14 July) in headlining the London concert series this summer.

Elsewhere in London, Alexandra Palace’s Kaleidoscope Festival will be topped by Ministry of Sound Classical on 13 July, alongside a supporting cast including Soul II Soul, The Go! Team, Antony Szmierek, Huey Morgan, Mr Scruff, Erol Alkan, X-Press 2 and Artful Dodger.

End of the Road Festival returns to Larmer Tree Gardens, Blandford Forum, Dorset from 29 August to 1 September, headlined by Idles, Slowdive, Fever Ray and Bonnie “Prince” Billy. Other acts will include Yo La Tengo, Sleater-Kinney, Lankum, Baxter Dury, Jockstrap, Ty Segall, CMAT, Phosphorescent, Nation of Language, Camera Obscura, The Lemon Twigs, Mdou Moctar and Gruff Rhys.

Crowded House (17 June), Paolo Nutini (18 June), Jungle (27 June) and Underworld (29 June) are the first batch of headline artists for the second edition of Senbla’s On The Mount at Wasing concerts at Wasing Estate in Reading, Berkshire.

Wasing Estate will also present Solstice At The Mount – an “immersive celebration of world music and culture” – on 20 June, starring headliners Nick Mulvey and Rodrigo Y Gabriela on the main stage, together with intimate late night fireside performances from Awarë and Ajeet.

Eden Sessions at the Eden Project in Cornwall has so far announced Crowded House (12 June), Fatboy Slim (15 June), Paolo Nutini (19 June), Suede and Manic Street Preachers (29 June), The National and This Is the Kit (2 July), Rick Astley and the Lightning Seeds (3 July), Tom Grennan (5 July) and JLS (13 July).

Plus, Nocturne Live at Blenheim Palace will welcome Chaka Khan, Sister Sledge and The Fatback Band (13 June), Sugababes, Melanie C and Shaznay Lewis (15 June) and Crowded House, Sheryl Crow and Turin Brakes (16 June).

Insomniac Events has unveiled the bill for the first Beyond Wonderland Chicago, in partnership with Chicago-based Auris Presents. Tiësto, Diplo, Benny Benassi, Kaskade, RL Grime, Eli Brown, Alesso, Chris Lorenzo, Matroda, DJ Minx, Hugel, Eli Brown, Claptone, Patrick Topping and Felix Da Housecat are among the electronic music stars lined up for the 1-2 June event at Huntington Bank Pavilion, Northerly Island.

In addition, the inaugural Dance with Me x Ahabaja festival will debut from 30 March to 1 April in San José Del Cabo, Mexico. A collaboration between promoters Austin Gavlak and Art with Me, the event grounds and gardens will be filled with art co-curated by the family behind Zonamaco, the largest art fair platform in Latin America. The line-up includes Black Coffee, Bedouin, LP Giobbi, Parallelle, Gab Rhome and Stavroz.

“Ahabaja is our tribute to a part of the world we have fallen in love with,” says Gavlak, founder of Colarado’s Powerbunga festival. “Art with Me and I want to bring our communities together on this breathtaking beachfront and pair its natural beauty with the sounds of incredible music and the sights of powerful art in nature. We want people to carry the Ahabaha energy and vibe with them long after the last set.”

Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi’s Wireless Festival Middle East has postponed its second edition, originally scheduled for 2 March. Time Out Dubai reports the festival has been pushed back to November, with an exact start date and headline act still to be revealed.

“After careful consideration and with the utmost dedication to providing the best musical experience for our attendees, we have decided to move the date of the 2024 edition of Wireless Festival to November,” says Live Nation Middle East president James Craven.

“This change aims to create an even more unforgettable and enjoyable event, allowing us to curate a lineup that surpasses all expectations.”

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Festival lineup announcements have continued to come thick and fast in Europe and the United States as this summer’s calendar takes shape.

Serbia’s EXIT Festival has unveiled its first 24 acts for its 2024 edition, EXIT Starseeds, which is set for the Petrovaradin Fortress, Novi Sad, from 10-14 July.

The lineup is headlined by the Black Eyed Peas, Tom Morello, and Gucci Mane, with other acts to include DJ Carl Cox, Bonobo, KlangKuenstler, Sama’ Abdulhadi, Barry Can’t Swim, Franky Wah, and Mene. In addition, the Tesla Universe Stage will showcase the likes of Kenya Grace, Iniko, Rudimental, John Newman, The Exploited, Dub FX, Willy William, Ian Asher, and Steve Angello, and Joker Out.

Villagers of Ioannina City and Lakeside X are the first names confirmed for Visa Fusion Stage, while the Explosive Stage will feature Coroner and Nemesis.

Held under the slogan “Awakening our Superpowers Together”, EXIT Starseeds also has a special Starseeds Takeover performance on its Tesla Universe Stage reserved for day zero.

Elsewhere, Czechia’s Rock for People, which will be headlined by The Prodigy, The Offspring, Bring Me The Horizon and Yungblud, has added to its lineup. The event, which will take place at Park 360, Hradec Králové, from 12-15 June, will also star Sum 41, Avril Lavigne, Dogstar, Bad Omens, Corey Taylor, Enter Shikari, Parkway Drive, Bombay Bicycle Club, Body Count ft. Ice-T, Dogstar, Neck Deep, Thy Art Is Murder, Missio and Royal Republic, among others.

Meanwhile, Craig David, Ne-Yo, DJ Spoony, So Solid Crew and Shola Ama are the first acts unveiled for Ashton Gate Presents BS3. The new multi-artist event in Bristol, UK, will feature ten acts across two stages on 22 June.

In the US, Boston Calling will be held from 24-26 May in Allston, MA, headlined by Ed Sheeran, Tyler Childers and The Killers. The lineup also includes Leon Bridges, Trey Anastasio and Classic TAB, Hozier, Reneé Rapp, Khruangbin, Megan Thee Stallion, Jessie Murph, Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls, and Young the Giant.

It will also serve as a celebration of New England’s music scene, featuring over 20 artists from the region including Beach Weather, Kieran Rhodes, Senseless Optimism, Tysk Tysk Task, and Bad Rabbits, who opened the inaugural festival in 2013.

Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival is scheduled for 13-16 June on the Bonnaroo Farm, 60 miles southeast of Nashville in Manchester, TN, with this year’s highlights including performances from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Post Malone,  Pretty Lights, Megan Thee Stallion, Cage The Elephant and a US festival exclusive performance by Fred Again..

Also on the bill: Maggie Rogers, Melanie Martinez, Khruangbin, Cigarettes After Sex, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Diplo, Carly Rae Jepsen, Fisher, Jon Batiste, Dominic Fike, Parcels, Idles, Joey Bada$$, Lizzy McAlpine, T-Pain, Interpol, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Two Friends, Taking Back Sunday, Gary Clark Jr, TV Girl, Thundercat, Ashnikko and Brittany Howard.

Southern California’s electronic music-focused Beyond Wonderland will host acts such as The Chainsmokers, Benny Benassi, Alesso, Madeon, Subtronics, Basscon, Rezz, Wax Motif, Chris Lorenzo, J. Worra, Gareth Emery, Zeds Dead and Afrojack b2b R3hab at NOS Events Center, San Bernardino, on 22-23 March.

And BottleRock Napa Valley has already sold out three-day tickets for its 24-26 May gathering, topped by Stevie Nicks, Pearl Jam and Ed Sheeran. It will also feature artists including Queens Of The Stone Age, Megan Thee Stallion, Maná, St Vincent, Nelly, Miike Snow, Bebe Rexha, Kali Uchis, The Kid Laroi, My Morning Jacket, Dominic Fike, Norah Jones, The Offspring, All Time Low and Holly Humberstone.

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