Last weekend, October 17th and 18th, hello82 held its first ever festival, 82WORLD, in Los Angeles. It was a weekend of games, trivia, dancing, and performances from some of the Kpop groups the company has worked with for years; P1Harmony, xikers, AMPERS&ONE, BE:FIRST, cosmosy, GIRLSET, 8TURN, and an entire day of just ATEEZ. What was promised as “a world built for fans” quickly devolved into fans flooding to social media alleging lack of organization, lack of accommodations, and the way disabled fans were not only being dismissed but even escorted off the premises by the COO of hello82 just for advocating for accessibility.
Hundreds of posts across social media, TikTok, Instagram, Threads, and Twitter calling out the festival for its alleged failure to provide adequate accommodations, security reportedly refusing to allow disabled fans to enter and being rude to all fans, fans reportedly being trampled, staff allegedly discriminating against disabled fans, and disability advocates reportedly being laughed at for alleging the festival’s noncompliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Multiple disabled fans allege they had reached out about accommodations numerous times for months before the festival but received no reply, despite there being an ADA form on the website. Fans were told to email or submit the form to request accommodations, only to be ignored until at the earliest 3 days before the festival started. Some fans allegedly only got responses late at night the night before, or even 3AM on Day 1, with requests for their name and ticket information, and none of their questions answered. Some fans allegedly didn’t get a response at all.
Credit: SamWise
And even then, upon arrival at the festival, the staff reportedly didn’t check any of the information that was submitted, including requested accommodations or verified companions, despite telling attendees on the ADA email to show it to security. Fans were reportedly confused as to how they were unprepared for this event if they had all the information prior, including an estimate of how many people were requesting accommodations, what the accommodations were, and who else would be coming.
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| Credit: LoMo |
And when the festival map was eventually released (one week prior to the festival), disabled fans were even more concerned.
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| 82WORLD site |
As per the map, the club82 (VIP) zone not only lacked ADA bathrooms, but there was also no ADA area in the entire zone. Fans were concerned because that meant disabled fans who paid extra for VIP did not have accommodations. They reportedly emailed to inform them of this issue, however that allegedly didn’t change anything.
When the festival started, there were reportedly even more problems than anticipated. Fans report the area for lineup was in a big, open field with no shade or cover despite staff knowing people would be lining up for hours. Disabled fans allege that club82 and GA ticketholders were entering in the ADA line and running and pushing people, even before the gates fully opened. A fan named Rose alleges the ADA entry line was also the same as the line for no bags.
ADA attendees reportedly warned staff this could be dangerous and asked to be let in elsewhere, but staff reportedly refused. ADA attendees were reportedly stuck in the huge crowd of runners and pushers once gates did fully open, and either stood off to the side and waited, or got pushed and ran into. Fans also say that there were allegedly no separate ADA lines or entrances for the activities/areas inside. Some stages reportedly had ADA seating areas for games, but there was allegedly only one line for everyone.
Multiple fans also allege that on Day 2, instead of letting people come in gradually after security (gate 2) to go to the front of the stage, staff stopped everyone behind a barricade, waited until there was a huge crowd (including ADA attendees), and brought photographers, videographers, and social media staff with phones to record the entry. They reportedly stood directly in the middle, removed the barricade, and just said, “go.” An entire stampede, full of attendees of all ticket levels, including ADA and disabled fans, made their way to the stages, and people were reportedly crashed into, stepped on, pushed, and trampled.
Other attendees reported hearing ADA fans saying they were scared being in the middle of this crowd. An attendee named Jessica reportedly saw someone with a walker get run into upon entry and instead of anyone helping them, people just continued, even stepping on the person on the ground. Other disabled attendees reported getting hit by runners numerous times. An attendee named RJ reportedly saw a person in a wheelchair get knocked into and almost flip, and saw other fans surround another with a cane to protect them from the runners. Staff reportedly called out “no running” a few times but reportedly made no effort to actually stop anybody.
Multiple attendees also allege that no entrance was easily accessible for wheelchairs, and they had to trek almost ¾ mile from where they could be safely dropped off to the gates, all along a gravel path. There was reportedly no ADA parking, nor were there any ADA shuttles despite disabled attendees reportedly asking for both in advance.
They also allege there were no clear paths for wheelchair users at any part of the festival grounds, nor were any of the extra areas wheelchair accessible, except for the “ATEEZ Through the Years” display. And to get to club82, there was allegedly no flat access; fans reportedly had to cross a tall grassy hill. An attendee alleges they saw a person with a walker struggling up the hill, then getting their wheel stuck in a sprinkler.
Another disabled attendee, Ela, alleges the ADA signage was unclear. They also allege that upon arrival, check-in was on a hill, and ADA guests were told to make their way to a (reportedly mislabeled) ADA security line. They allege ADA assistance and check-in not only moved from where it was originally supposed to be, but staff was also unaware of where it was. Upon exit, Ela found it, and it was allegedly off to the side in a completely different spot of where it was said to be.
As per the festival map, there was only one ADA compliant bathroom, and according to attendees, the rest were either up flights of stairs, on top of inclines difficult for wheelchair users to access, across very unstable grounds, or were small porta potties. Fans also allege there was no ADA signage for the bathrooms.
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| Credit: Hilarie |
Fans also allege the staff didn’t even know where the ADA tents were, screamed at them for taking medicine, and when EMT staff was asked about cooling packs they told the fans to either go sit in a tent or stand in the shade. A fan named Sol said the map showed two hydration stations, but there was only one, and multiple fans allege the water was warm or hot.
Fans do say staff handed out (warm) water at barricade at the main stage, but elsewhere they had to ask numerous times before anyone would bring them any. At the Play Stage, the members of ATEEZ themselves (and the host of trivia, Skyler Lee) allegedly reminded fans to ask staff for water, but even when fans asked, staff reportedly wouldn’t move. At one point, the members themselves got reportedly so frustrated that they started bringing water to the fans, which finally encouraged them to move.
Day 1, there were reportedly still no ADA accessible bathrooms in club82 (the only ADA bathrooms were reportedly on the other side of the venue), there was still no ADA area in the club82 zone, the seating for food was picnic tables with benches (with nowhere for wheelchairs to pull up and sit), and disabled fans who won Hi-Wave with artists were reportedly immediately disqualified from participating – upon alleged staff confirmed instruction from hello82.
For the “This or That” game, participants were reportedly removed after each round, including all ADA, and then had to go back and stand in the line while waiting for the next games, with no separate line for ADA participants. There reportedly was a separate section for ADA to sit in when they played, however, fans in that section were reportedly removed first at the end of the game, including winners. Disabled fans allege that even when they won, they were still removed from the area and not allowed to participate in any of the Hi-Waves.
@imgraveyardbaby @hello82 PRESENTS do better with ADA winners because this was not ok #82world #82worldla #xikers #fypシ #fypシ゚viral ♬ original sound -
