Close to 16,000 fans packed the America First Field parking lot in Sandy on Friday for the opening night of Breakaway Utah, an electronic music festival that neighbors say sent bass thumping through their walls and rattling their windows well into the night. With more fans expected for the festival's second day, residents living near the stadium are venting frustration over what several called the loudest event they've ever experienced in the area.
Neighbors Describe Windows Shaking From the Bass
According to FOX 13 News Utah, people living in neighborhoods near the stadium reported hearing the thumping bass inside their own homes. Sandy resident Louie Garcia described the music as rumbling his house, saying the situation is becoming very bad. Another resident, Guy Barker, said the festival's current outdoor location is bothersome and even upsets his dog.
The station and Sandy City said they received a significant number of complaints about the music's volume over the weekend. Nearby residents told the outlet that the bass was rattling windows, with one describing it bluntly: it's bad, way bad. Those same residents said Breakaway was the loudest event they could recall ever taking place at the stadium.
City Calls It a First-of-Its-Kind Event for Sandy
Sandy officials confirmed this was the first concert of its kind held in the city, a distinction that left even the mayor feeling the impact firsthand. Mayor Monica Zoltanski said she experienced the music both at the amphitheater park and farther east on Highland Drive, describing feeling the bass at the amphitheater before noticing its reach extended even further into the city.
Because this was Sandy's first festival of the electronic music genre, the city says it's still assessing how the event is affecting residents beyond the immediate footprint of the stadium. City officials have said they plan to meet with everyone involved after the festival wraps up, with discussions expected to cover staging, location choices and even atmospheric conditions that can affect how far sound travels through neighborhoods.
Festival Draws National Crowd Amid Packed Local Hotels
Breakaway Utah, presented by CELSIUS, is scheduled to run both Friday and Saturday, October 2 and 3, 2026, from 4 p.m. to midnight each day, according to the event listing on America First Field's website. The festival's own site, Breakaway, confirms the event is being held at America First Field and is restricted to guests 18 and older, with certain premium ticket tiers, including the Space Deck Terrace, limited to those 21 and up.
The turnout appears to have had a notable effect on lodging in the area. Sandy hotels were running at about 90% occupancy for the entire weekend, while nearby hotels in South Jordan and Draper sat around 70% occupancy, the station's report noted.
What Happens Before the Next Festival
City leaders say the post-festival conversation is intended to shape how future events are staged in Sandy, with an eye toward reducing how far the sound carries into residential areas. For now, the bass-heavy aftermath of Breakaway's debut weekend has left plenty of residents hoping any next installment sounds a lot different from their living rooms.
