Vibes at Sunset’s remaining 2026 gatherings will take place at two venues away from Libby Hill Park: VITCO on September 25 and the Virginia War Memorial on October 8. Both events are free, but attendees will need RSVPs, according to Axios. The nonprofit collective behind the series, Electric Sun Society, canceled its September 10 event while seeking a new location, Axios reported.
Different venues, different constraints
The new sites have dedicated event infrastructure. VITCO, a 17,000-square-foot outdoor venue at 1010 N. Meadow St., opened in June and includes a stage made from a repurposed electric streetcar. It was developed by the team behind Washington, D.C.’s Metrobar, according to Axios’s earlier report on VITCO. The Virginia War Memorial has a 1,500-capacity plaza, a 400-capacity amphitheater and 175 dedicated parking spaces, according to the memorial’s visitor information.
City officials recommended Kanawha Plaza as another option, Axios reported. The three-acre downtown site hosts concerts and festivals, according to Venture Richmond. Richmond’s parks schedule lists it among four city park properties where alcohol consumption is permitted under special ABC regulations, according to Richmond Parks and Recreation. Electric Sun Society founder J. Kirven told Axios the plaza did not fit the event’s budget or sunset-focused format; Axios reported the reservation rate was $2,500.
Why the city sought a change
Richmond officials recommended moving the event amid capacity and neighborhood concerns, Axios reported. Attendance had grown from an estimated 200 people in its early days to more than 2,000 in August, and the city began discussing a move with organizers in July. Nearby residents raised concerns about residential parking, litter, noise after permitted hours and alcohol consumption without authorization.
What the assembly ordinance covers
For readers asking what standard rules govern permits and attendance for large events in Richmond parks, the city’s assembly ordinance does not provide that answer on its own. It lists park and recreation areas regulated by the city’s Parks department among its exceptions, but that provision alone does not establish the permit rules for events at those parks, according to the Richmond Code of Ordinances.
A local example of festival parking
The Richmond Folk Festival offers one example of how a recurring outdoor event can manage access: its directions list off-site parking at Dogwood Dell on Saturday and Sunday, with a shuttle to the festival site running roughly every 30 minutes, according to the Richmond Folk Festival.
The city said its goal was not to end the event and pointed to other large Libby Hill gatherings that used off-site parking and shuttles, Axios reported. Kirven told the outlet organizers proposed similar measures but were not allowed to test the plan before being told to leave the park. He also said Vibes did not sell alcohol, though attendees could bring their own, and that 10 to 15 organizers returned the next morning to clean the park.
Vibes began in 2018, when Kirven brought a Bluetooth speaker to the park to play music and watch the sunset, Axios reported. The series grew to feature African electronic music, wellness and art, alongside food trucks, local vendors and yoga. Kirven told the outlet he hopes it can show what Richmond’s public spaces can accommodate.
