GRiZ to Relocate His Seven Stars Festival After Learning Current Site Was Once a Plantation
GRiZ says Seven Stars festival will move after he learned that Oak Ridge Farm in Virginia, where it was held, was once a plantation. He accepted responsibility, saying the history had been known to members of his team before the first edition but had not been brought to his attention; he apologised to people who attended and those involved.
The second edition took place on 9–11 October and featured CloZee, LSDream, Daily Bread and GRiZ. He said the festival will not return to the site and will take an intentional hiatus while seeking a new location. He also condemned racist abuse directed at Black and brown community members after the history became a subject of online discussion.
In short
- GRiZ says Seven Stars will leave its former plantation site.
- He accepted responsibility for not learning of its history sooner.
- The festival will pause while a new location is found.
Explained simply
Seven Stars is a music festival organised by American electronic musician GRiZ. Its second edition was held in October at Oak Ridge Farm in Virginia, with performances by artists including CloZee, LSDream and Daily Bread.
The farm was once a plantation, where enslaved people were forced to work. That history was known to some members of the festival team before its first edition, but GRiZ says he was not told. The festival’s move raises questions about how event organisers consider a venue’s history and who is included in decisions about where events are held.