Some Sol Blume festival ticket holders still without refunds 2 years later

For thousands of people who bought tickets to Sacramento's Sol Blume R&B music festival, the wait for a refund has stretched into years.

The festival, which features R&B, hip-hop and soul artists, last took place in 2023. Its planned 2024 return was postponed after winter storms damaged Sacramento's Discovery Park.

Organizers told ticket holders they could either request a refund or keep their tickets for the festival's eventual return, with some ticket holders promised upgrades.

But that return never happened.

Now, ticket holders say communication from the festival has largely disappeared.

Alaisha Eden is one of them. She says she spent about $900 on tickets and has kept a folder filled with screenshots documenting her attempts to get her money back.

"At this point I've kinda just given up," Eden said. "I've reached out to the BBB and whoever I could, and nothing."

CBS News Sacramento found little recent activity from the festival. Sol Blume's Instagram account remains online, but its last post was the April 2024 announcement postponing the festival.

Eden says she's repeatedly tried to get the attention of organizers through that post.

"I've been commenting on that IG post for 60 weeks," she said.

The festival's official website is no longer operating.

"Stop treating people like they don't exist," Eden said. "You guys made a buck."

Another former ticket holder, Malia Larbi, spoke with CBS News Sacramento about the same issue in 2024.

"To have no communication or any social media updates for months is kinda concerning," Larbi said at the time.

Two years later, Eden says the frustration hasn't changed.

Lawsuit adds to questions surrounding festival

Sol Blume's financial troubles have also become the subject of litigation.

A lawsuit filed by former ticketing partner Lyte Inc. alleges Sol Blume and its owner owe at least $1.5 million. Lyte has since gone out of business.

Eden said she also contacted her bank, but was told too much time had passed and that she needed to work through the ticket vendor.

"I explained to them there was no merchant, there wasn't anybody, nobody to speak to," Eden said. "And they told us there wasn't anything they could do."

For Eden, the frustration is about more than the money. She and her roommate originally bought their Sol Blume tickets to celebrate their birthdays.

Eden said she attended the festival in 2022 and wanted to experience it again.

Her birthday is coming up again.

"It's on Sunday," she said. "There's not a lot of things going on in Sacramento that are that big, and it was a three-day event. It was a great time."

CBS News Sacramento has reached out to Sol Blume organizers repeatedly over the past two years for comment about the postponements, ticket refunds and the lack of communication. The organizers have not responded.

For consumers who believe they are owed money by a business, the California Attorney General's Office says complaints can be filed against businesses.