‘Everyone deserves a refund’: Long lines, delayed entry into the Roots Picnic frustrated concertgoers

Gabrielle Beckford, 29, and Khalifa White, 30, were among the first in line to enter the Saturday concert of the 2025 Roots Picnic at the Mann Center. The sisters came down to Philadelphia from their New York City homes.

They arrived at the Mann at 10 a.m. They knew they would have to wait until the gates opened at noon. In line, the sisters heard the opening was pushed to 1 p.m. But 1 p.m. came and went, and Beckford and White kept waiting — for hours.

“The picnic grounds need a little TLC after the recent storms, so we’ll be pushing doors open to 2PM,” the Roots Picnic X account posted shortly after 1 p.m.

But the gates didn’t open at 2 p.m. By 2:30 the crowd began chanting “Let us in.” The lines started moving around 3:30 p.m. But some attendees weren’t able to enter until well into the evening.

“The way the event was handled was really disrespectful to the people in attendance who spent their money,” White said via email Sunday morning. “Everyone deserves a refund & additional compensation for hours in line with no access to a bathroom & no resources for disabled attendees.”

Roots drummer Questlove posted on Instagram early Sunday morning that he’s aware that Saturday wasn’t “ideal.”

The conditions at the Mann were so bad because of Friday night’s heavy rain that organizers considered canceling the event over safety concerns, the Philly music icon said. But instead “we chose to take extra time to repair the site to ensure safety for all ticket holders,” and show times were revised to accommodate a three-hour delay.

In response to a request for comment, event organizers directed The Inquirer to a statement posted on the Roots Picnic Instagram at about 11:30 a.m. Sunday:

“We would like to say sorry … please understand safety will always be our number 1 priority. We worked hard to make sure every artist still got on stage and extended the festival hours so all could perform without violating city noise curfew … today is a new day and we will do better.”

And they did. Gates opened at the planned 1 p.m. And not that organizers had control over weather, but not a drop of rain was in the forecast for what was a sun-drenched day.

Philly and The Tonight Show band’s music festival is a summer kickoff event and a celebration of Black culture, music, and food. But the first day of the two-day event was marked by frustration as concertgoers waited in long lines to enter.

This year’s festival is headlined by R&B artist Maxwell, rock legend Lenny Kravitz, and Philly’s own Meek Mill. The Roots are set to perform Sunday. (Neoclassical soul singer D’Angelo dropped out as a headliner days before the concert, citing “unforeseen medical delay” following a surgery he had undergone earlier this year.)

The Fairmount Park festival comes on the heels of the tragic shooting at Lemon Hill, about three miles away on the other side of the river, where last Monday still-unidentified shooters fired into a Memorial Day crowd, killing two people and wounding nine others.

Police beefed up security for the concert, which went on without incident Saturday. Instead it was the weather that caused issues.

» READ MORE: ‘Plenty of police’: Days after Lemon Hill shooting, Philly police beefed up their presence at Roots Picnic

Amid muddy grass and puddles of brown water, an ocean of people waiting to be let in became increasingly irritated.

Standing with her arms crossed, Rachel Jones, 31, lamented that the interminable wait was what her daughter Pia, 11, was experiencing for her first concert. The King of Prussia pair had been in line since 11:30 a.m.

“They told us to get here earlier because Pia has lupus,” Jones said, as a tired Pia sat on the cement pathway. “Since, there has been no communication. They won’t even provide a bottle of water for her.”

Jones’ coworkers had originally planned to accompany them to the event. But after the group got an alert that the opening time was going to be pushed back even later, they left.

“It said something about weather and water on the ground,” Jones said of the message. “I am about to order an Uber and get out of here. I am hoping they give us a refund.”

The frustration spilled onto social media.

“I’m outside the Roots Picnic. It is a mess,” TikTok user yh8tiktok posted. “I need a refund.”

At 5 p.m., the Roots Picnic X account posted the delays were “due to the heavy storms that hit the Philly area over the last 24-48 hours.”

“The festival grounds took on a lot of mud and flooding,” the event posted on X. “It created some real safety hazards, and we couldn’t open the gates until we made sure everything was solid for y’all.”

But hours later concertgoers were still attempting to get into the Mann, and those who paid extra for VIP tickets didn’t fare any better.

Uraina Dunmore, 43, left Washington early Saturday morning to ensure she would be in the front of the VIP line once doors opened. After almost two hours of waiting her excitement was wearing off.

“People here pay so much, at least give us water or communicate better,” she said. “You have people with medical conditions, allergies … and they don’t know nothing.”

For Dunmore, attributing the delay to the weather was unforgivable.

“The weather was already anticipated. I have on rain boots,” Dunmore said, as her friend livestreamed her on social media. “It’s very frustrating and disappointing … I’m excited to get a seat and get some food.”

As the afternoon turned into evening, some decided that the wait was just no longer worth it.

Nadiyah, a Los Angeles-based actress who flew in for the festival, had a general admission-plus ticket that gave her access to the VIP line, promising expedited entry.

“It’s 7:06. I couldn’t do it no more,” she said in a video. “There are still thousands of people waiting … I have flown all the way from LA to Philly for a festival I did not get a chance to enjoy.”

Early Sunday morning, Questlove reached out on Instagram with an expression of gratitude.

“It’s 3 a.m. and I wanna thank you for your understanding and patience through this adversity,” Questlove said. “This year has shown our ability to adapt and overcome challenges, much like we did in past years. [Sunday] is a new day, and I’m excited to revisit the ‘Do You Want More’ LP on the Mann stage. Please enjoy the picnic as we kick off summer together.”

Editor’s note: This article was updated early Sunday afternoon with a statement from Roots Picnic organizers.