Riot Fest Worries Bring Chicago Hospital to Court

(CN) - Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg are scheduled to play Riot Fest this weekend in Chicago, but the hospital across the street has sued to pull the plug on the music festival.

Saint Anthony Hospital filed the federal complaint on Sept. 4 against the promoters of Riot Fest, a "punk rock, heavy metal, hip-hop and rock music festival and carnival."

No Doubt, Motorhead, Anthrax, Cypress Hill, Rancid, Gwar and The Prodigy are all on the bill for the festival, which is set to run from Sept. 11 to 13 in Douglas Park, across 19th Street from the hospital in Little Village.

Organizers set their sights on Douglas Park after causing "substantial damage to Humboldt Park" last year, and "that community refused to allow it back into its neighborhood.

Indeed Riot Fest has had hard time "maintaining a consistent location in any city," according to the complaint, which notes that the festival had to take place at three different locations in Denver over the past three years for the same reason.

Though Riot Fest organizers had promised to minimize disruptions, they nevertheless set the main entrance up right across from the hospital entrance, according to the complaint

"Riot Fest is expected to draw 45,000 attendees daily, in addition to vendors musicians, ride operators, carnival 'freaks' and security," St. Anthony claims.

Organizers have admitted that the festival will create 55 to 70 decibels of noise at the hospital, the hospital notes.

"This is an extreme volume for any setting, let alone the typically serene setting of a hospital patient room," according to the complaint. "This is also surprising and illegal because St. Anthony is in a Zone of Quiet per the city of Chicago's Municipal Code."

The hospital is seeking a temporary restraining order, as well as a preliminary and permanent injunction to stop Riot Fest from taking place in Douglas Park.

Representatives for Riot Fest have not yet returned an email seeking comment.

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