Last night, the Saga Festival in Romania was rocked by a surprise cancellation from headliner DJ Hardwell, leaving fans shocked and disappointed. The Dutch DJ, known for his electrifying performances and chart-topping hits, took to the stage with high expectations, only to abruptly end his set after a fiery rant.
According to reports from attendees and social media posts, Hardwell expressed his frustration with the festival’s production team, citing a lack of payment and inadequate equipment as reasons for his abrupt departure. “I came all the way from the Netherlands for you guys, but I can’t perform,” he told the crowd, before throwing his headphones and storming offstage.
The Saga Festival, which has faced its fair share of controversies in the past, has been plagued by issues ranging from racist incidents to artist cancellations. In 2023, the festival was forced to cancel its entire lineup due to “unforeseen circumstances,” leaving many fans disappointed and out of pocket. Despite the festival’s efforts to improve its reputation, incidents like Hardwell’s set cancellation continue to cast a shadow over its future. Not to forget the lawsuit intended by Bucharest Mayor Office against Saga in order to recoup the costs of the 2022 edition, hosted on National Arena.
According to some attendees, last night was a total disaster, with the show starting 2 hours later, no illumination in the toilets, while the vendors from the festival, didn’t accepted any kind of payment except cash or credit cards, because (and no surprise here) SAGA organizers still didn’t payed them from last year venue. (are we surprised then when Hardwell said he wasn’t paid?).
Despite all mentioned above, SAGA response on socials was ironic and malicious, having attendees comments deleted or blocked completely (long live free speech huh?). Very “professional” behavior, for this wanna be Untold festival.
While Hardwell has yet to release an official statement regarding the incident, it remains to be seen how this will impact his relationship with the festival and its organizers. One thing is for sure, though: last night’s Saga Festival will go down in history as a night to forget for all involved. R.I.P Saga !
