VVTAT on Facebook reported receiving more and more complaints from users stating that they are not getting their money back for tickets from the event organizer, the public institution “Festival Group”.
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The festival did not take place in 2025 either, and users were offered to use the purchased tickets for the 2026 festival.
At the same time, the director of the public institution “Festival Group”, Aistė Kairytė, told 15min that the money is being refunded, but the process took time.
“I will not comment, but the money is being refunded little by little and we will definitely refund everyone,” promised A. Kairytė.
When asked why the money has not been refunded so far, as people even file complaints or how many customers have not received money yet, A. Kairytė was uncommunicative: “I will not comment”:
The festival lasted 30 years
On June 13, the organizers of “Blues Nights” announced on their Facebook page that the festival, which lasted 30 years, will not take place this year.
“We really wanted to write this time about new performers and the upcoming summer by Lake Lūkstas. Unfortunately, we have to announce different news.
In recent months, we have been looking for various solutions, reducing plans and budget as we promised last year, but we have to admit that we failed to ensure the financial conditions that would allow the festival to be held as it deserves to be held.
Therefore, we made a difficult decision – in 2026, “Blues Nights” will not take place,” the organizers wrote.
According to the post, over more than three decades, the festival became much more than a music event. Friendships, bands, stories, and traditions were born here.
“We do not want to organize the festival at any cost. We do not want to promise more than we can deliver. Therefore, today we choose honesty. Thank you to everyone who has been with us all these years. Thank you for the trust, support, and belief in “Blues Nights”. Is this the end? Today we do not have an answer. But we know one thing – as long as there are people for whom “Blues Nights” means more than concerts, this story will be alive. Therefore, today we do not say “goodbye”. We say thank you,” the organizers wrote in the farewell post.
They also stated that all tickets purchased for both the 2025 and 2026 festivals will be refunded.
“This will require time and a lot of work, but we will fulfill our obligations,” promised the organizers.
Under this post, there were several complaints from festival participants that the money has not been refunded.
“Has anyone received a response regarding ticket refunds? The 14-day period, during which they were supposed to respond according to consumer rights, has ended, but neither I nor my friends have received any response,” complained a girl who purchased tickets. Similar complaints were shared by several other festival participants who bought tickets.
Consumer rights advise what to do
VVTAT reminds what to know if pleasant impressions at a summer event are spoiled by problems: the event is canceled, lasts shorter, promised performers do not appear, or the service otherwise does not meet what was paid for.
If the event you paid for in advance does not take place, you have the right to claim compensation, and the service provider must compensate for losses caused by non-performance or improper performance of the contract, for example, refund the money paid for tickets to the canceled event.
First, contact the event organizer in writing and state your claim. The service provider must provide a reasoned response within 14 days from the date of receipt of the request. If the response is unsatisfactory or you do not receive it within the specified time, you can apply to VVTAT for an out-of-court resolution of the consumer dispute.
The service reminds to keep tickets, payment documents, information about the event, and recorded discrepancies.
“The more specific the evidence, the easier it is to assess whether you received the service you paid for,” emphasized consumer rights.
You can also demand a refund due to a poor-quality event
According to the service, poor sound or visibility, unguaranteed seat indicated on the ticket, shorter event duration than announced, performers who did not appear or others not listed in the program – these are also circumstances under which consumers can question the quality of the service. Every service must comply with the contract terms and pre-contractual information.
If the actual service provided differed from what was promised, the consumer has the right to contact the event organizer and submit their claim, for example, to request a full or partial refund of the ticket price.
In case of a dispute, evidence is important. Keep the ticket, documents confirming its purchase, as well as the event description, program, or other information indicating what services you could expect. It is worth documenting observed discrepancies with photos or videos. For example, if you complain about poor visibility, record how the stage was actually visible from your seat.
Subjective assessments, such as that the event did not leave the promised “indelible impressions” or that its artistic quality was not liked, are difficult to evaluate. Therefore, it is important to justify as specifically as possible how the provided service did not meet what was promised.
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