With Bacchanal less than a day away, the late reminder that students must submit a negative COVID-19 test to Eventbrite at least 48 hours before the festival has left hundreds of students barred from being able to attend. “Bacchanal 2020 was canceled, Bacchanal 2021 was online, 2022 was at Terminal 5— is it really surprising that, given we’re on campus this year, we just ask that you don’t have COVID?” G-Board member Viola Solo asked the Spectador.
While the safety change was likely not surprising to the majority of students, those left out of the loop on the COVID policy had some heated opinions. “I can’t believe they would do this to us! Why was the mandate not mentioned during ticket sales?” Joy Kil, CC ‘25, demanded. “I’m starting to think they really don’t want people to cram onto Low Beach to see a D-list celebrity.”
While many students complain that the Bacchanal Board was not clear enough about their policies, the student-run organization informed the Spectador that “a minimum of seven emails were sent out over the last two weeks,” and that “…anyone who does not know by this point probably should not be in attendance because they clearly don’t really have that Bacchanal spirit.”
What this will mean for the festivities this April 1st is unclear, although there will certainly be a smaller turnout than initially expected. For those who missed the testing deadline and are looking for an alternative event, Postcrypt has been reminding upset students that they hold bi-weekly shows every Friday and Saturday, and Hi-Fi Snock Uptown stated they will be holding their own “Snock-annal” concert later this April.
