Last week we reported that popular tourist attractions, such as the Colosseum, the Palace of Versailles and Britain’s National Gallery, banned selfie sticks. Now, multiple American music festivals have prohibited selfie sticks. Officials from Coachella, held in Indio, Calif., and Lollapalooza in Chicago came out this week saying that selfie sticks will not be allowed within the festivals this year, and offered a few criticisms of those who may want to bring them in, according to CBS News.
Lollapalooza’s official Twitter account stated that the decision to ban selfie sticks was “for safety, to speed security checks at the gate and to reduce the number of obstructions between the fans and the stage.”
@logandpitcher26 for safety, to speed security checks at the gate & to reduce the number of obstructions between the fans and the stage.
— Lollapalooza (@lollapalooza) March 26, 2015
The Coachella website has a list of banned items on its FAQ page, and lists “Selfie sticks/narsisstics” as items that will not make it past the security gate. Ultra, a festival held in Miami, tweeted that selfie sticks “will be turned away and we’ll probably make fun of you.”
Wayne Fromm, who holds the first patent for the selfie stick, told the Associated Press that he understood the decision to ban selfie sticks from museums and festivals, and that the item wasn’t intended for use in such places.
He said to the Associated Press, “Intentionally or not, there is a danger to other people in crowded spaces.” He also said that he is working on a new item to take selfies, without the problems the selfie stick presents.
Conversely, Jacqueline Verdier, CEO of Selfie on a Stick said that banning the item takes away from the experience for the user.
“I think it’s really doing a bit of a disservice to the attendees,” she said to the Associated Press. “They’re not going to be able to capture the same memories.”
Whether they agree with the decision or not, concertgoers will have to keep their selfie sticks at home this festival season, and their friends will just have to take their that they were front and center for Steely Dan at Coachella without photographic evidence.
