Billy Strings will refund Buena Vista festival attendees after missing headlining sets

Bluegrass artist Billy Strings is offering refunds to attendees of his weekend music festival in Buena Vista after he skipped his headlining sets at the last minute.

Ticketholders to the Sept. 27-28 event at The Meadows in Buena Vista event got to see openers such as Molly Tuttle, Full Cord and Jerry Douglas Band, as well as Strings’ own band — only minus Strings.

Due to his wife going into labor Friday in Michigan, Strings had to cancel both nights, he wrote online. He didn’t reference that in a statement he shared on his social media accounts Monday, but had posted about it prior to that.

“We were really hoping that baby boy would wait till Sunday morning at least but he had plans of his own,” he wrote on Instagram. “Friday morning I got to the festival site and did a soundcheck and a quick Q&A set about the album. I was hanging out backstage getting ready to rehearse for our set when my wife called and told me her water broke.

“I immediately hopped on a jet (thank you Ringo Starr for lending me your ride) and headed back,” he continued. “I was mortified to leave the fans hanging and to leave the responsibility of the gig to my band and friends who stepped up and kicked ass in my absence. (I owe you all a cold beer!) but I was so excited to get back to my wife because she needed me…”

In Monday’s statement, Strings said he recognized that this year’s event was not what fans expected. He said refunds for the shows will begin processing on Friday, Oct. 4, and that ticketholders should allow 5-10 business days for the funds to appear in their accounts.

He also wrote that anyone with questions should email [email protected] for information and assistance. Refunds will be processed with only the non-refundable credit card processing fees excluded, he added.