Redwest is coming back to Salt Lake City, even after the kind of year most festivals have nightmares about. Organizers announced Friday that the festival will return to the Utah State Fairpark on October 16–17, nearly a year after a severe-weather evacuation at the same venue left one concertgoer dead and prompted legal action.
Dates, presale and alumni discount
The festival's official website lists October 16–17 and says tickets go on sale Friday, April 17, at 10:00 a.m. MDT. Buyers who held 2025 tickets are eligible for an alumni presale that runs through April 19 and will receive a discount code sent to the email used for their 2025 purchase, according to Redwest. The homepage also invites fans to register for first access and keeps the suspense going with the full lineup labeled as "coming soon."
Last year's storm and canceled sets
Last fall, Saturday programming was put on pause in the late afternoon as lightning, high winds and heavy rain swept across the fairpark, and organizers later canceled the rest of that night's shows, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. Thousands of attendees were told to shelter or leave the grounds, and organizers later offered Saturday ticketholders free admission to Sunday, a gesture many critics said did not go far enough. The scrubbed schedule included big-name headliners like Post Malone, Kacey Musgraves and Noah Kahan, which only heightened frustration over the shutdown.
Legal fallout
The evacuation turned tragic when 23-year-old Ava Ahlander was struck by windblown debris from a nearby construction site while evacuating. She later died, and her family has filed a negligence suit against the contractor, as reported by KSL. The complaint alleges unsecured materials and seeks damages, and the contractor has not issued a public comment on the filing.
Mixed reaction online
The announcement of Redwest's return drew a split reaction on social media. Some fans cheered the chance to get back to live country shows, while others called for refunds or openly questioned safety planning, according to comments captured by FOX13. Local reporting and community discussion have pressed organizers and the venue to spell out any adjustments to evacuation and storm-response plans before gates open again, per The Salt Lake Tribune.
What to watch next
Organizers say the full lineup will be announced later and continue to invite fans to register for first access. For now, the festival site reiterates that alumni presale buyers should use their 2025 order email as the access code, per Redwest. Anyone eyeing a return to the fairpark will want to keep an eye on the festival's official channels for the lineup drop, any public details on updated safety protocols and the April 17 on-sale window.
