Blended Festival’s CEO Vanishes With $6 Million Debt

Blended Festival’s CEO disappeared into thin air after he allegedly racked up “$6 million in unpaid debt” and left “hundreds of employees, vendors, talent, and investors holding their hands out to get paid.” 

According to Page Six, Sean Evans ghosted staff and vendors following Blended Festival’s launch in Nashville, Tennessee. The fest was advertised as a series of beat-fueled performances mixed with culinary and wine stages that would take over multiple cities across the US this fall.

But the only edition of the Blended Festival was the one in Nashville, from the 10th to the 11th of September. A-list artists such as Rich The Kid, Loud Luxury, Lil Jon, and The Chainsmokers headlined the event. 

Dates for Austin, San Diego, and Tampa were abruptly canceled with no word about refunds or possible revival. In a statement, Blended Festival organizers cited “unforeseen circumstances” for postponing the event. Although no other dates were announced, the statement affirms that all acts “are on board for a rescheduled date.” 

“Please know this decision was extremely difficult to make, but ultimately, needed in order to produce the highest level of experience.”

An Instagram account for the festival – which a third party runs – delivered an update to ticket holders last Thursday, alleging Evans “has been absent as of October 1st.”

The post reads that Blended Festival’s CEO has since disabled staff email accounts and left the team with no answers. Evans is the sole owner of the festival, which means he is the only one with access to bank accounts, payroll, and ticketing.

Page Six reported that Evans sent out an email on 5th October claiming to have had a minor heart attack.

He allegedly followed that email with another note on October 10th, saying that the festival and his company, My Wine Society, “will be dissolving and ceasing business activity while we search for a potential acquirer for the brand IP (if one exists).”

The rest of the festival staff members are pursuing legal action.

In addition to extensive documentation of their attempts to track Evans, they’ve also posted contact information for him and his lawyer.