We already reported on the name and date change for the Electric Blockaloo dance-music festival, which was due to be held on 25-28 June using the game Minecraft as its platform.
Now called Rave Family Block Fest, it kicked off yesterday (9 July) and lasts until Monday (13 July). How is it going? Erm…
Let’s just say it’s not a great sign if one of the big dance-music websites’ headline is “Rave Family Block Fest Earns ‘Fyre Festival’ Title On First Day Of Programming“. Comparing it to the most disastrous physical festival of recent memory is a bit much, but there does seem to be a gap between people’s expectations of a Minecraft music festival and the reality.
Among the complaints so far: that the actual music has to be streamed from MixCloud or the festival’s website, once you’ve reached a virtual stage; that it’s difficult to access the festival’s servers; that it works on PCs but not on games consoles; that creating Minecraft avatars for the 950+ booked artists hasn’t gone well.
At the time of writing, Minecraft’s creator Mojang Studios has issued a statement reminding people that “Rave Family Block Fest is not officially sanctioned by Mojang Studios and we have not partnered with organisers of the event” (which is true, and has been made clear on the event posters, but ouch!).
Rave Family Block Fest is a paid, ticketed event, so it’s no surprise that the complaints from attendees about the various problems / mismatched expectations are loud.
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