Why was Circoloco Mumbai cancelled? Inside the last-minute shutdown

In a shocking twist of fate, what was supposed to be one of the most anticipated nights in Mumbai for those in the electronic music scene turned out to be a major damp squib. Fans were left severely disappointed after the sudden announcement that Circoloco was cancelled, with the news coming just hours before the event was scheduled to take place at Jio World Garden on Sunday, April 19. The lineup included huge international artists like Mau P, Chris Stussy, Michel Bibi, and more – many had already flown into Mumbai only to learn that the event was cancelled. Fans travelling from all over India were also quick to take to social media to express their disappointment. 

The announcement came late at night. At 2 am, in an Instagram post through District, the official event organisers dropped the news saying: 'In light of recent developments and updated regulatory protocols for large-scale outdoor events, we are unable to proceed, as the required permissions have not been granted. As organisers, we fully respect and must adhere to all government guidelines and decisions.' 

So what really happened?

Rumours are swirling. A popular one is that final alcohol licenses were revoked for the event, forcing organisers to shut down due to the significant losses they would face. When it comes to who takes responsibility for the cancellation, organisers heavily point to a lack of government compliance.

However police officials made a statement suggesting otherwise, stating: 'We served three notices to the organisers of the Circoloco India live music concert and denied permission for the show due to law and order concerns. The organisers had been preparing for the event for the last six months and had already booked the ground and hall. However, they sought police permission only 10 days before the show. Even after being served two notices, they continued preparations. After the third notice, permission was refused.'

A picture of the official communication letter from the Mumbai police has been circling the internet stating, security and law and order concerns as the main reason the event was cancelled. This comes after a tragic alleged MDMA overdose resulted in the death of two MBA students at a previous warehouse 9x9 rave event at the NESCO Centre Goregaon earlier this month. Since then, there has been a crackdown on all concerts and rave events with tightened security and strict no alcohol policies, the latest being at the Calvin Harris live show in Mumbai on April 18.  

Refunds

Refunds are being processed by District to all 4,000 ticket-holders within 10-12 business days.