Fans faced rescheduling after Tyler the Creator rearranged the dates of his annual festival, “Camp Flog Gnaw,” at the last minute due to harsh rain and potential flooding over Dodger Stadium. This postponement changed more than just the days; multiple aspects of the festival were impacted.
Fans attending the festival had to check their calendars to see if they were able to attend the concert after the dates changed from November 15th and 16th to the following week, on November 22nd and 23rd. Carlsbad High school students were fortunate that the festival was only a drive away, since other fans had to arrange travel services specific to the dates.
“It does not really affect me because I live closer to LA, but I know it was really upsetting for other fans to hear that it was canceled the day before when they’re hopping on their flights and they have their hotels already,” Junior Gwen Evangelista said.
Not only is the festival about listening to music, it is about dressing up and experiencing the artists live. Concert preparation is a huge deal for Camp Flog Gnaw because of the creative looks that take time and money to create. Not being able to attend causes clothing and accessories to go to waste or get returned.
“I think it is a good thing he rescheduled it looking out for the safety, but I think he could have moved some things to Sunday instead or found a better way to go at it rather than rescheduling it the day before because a lot of people already bought things for it,” Junior Claire Otten said.
Tyler’s original reason for rescheduling was due to extreme weather conditions in Los Angeles that were forecasted to bring rain, flooding, wind and landslides. His last minute decision helped keep his fans safe from the rain along with the dangers of wet equipment.
“I think it makes sense to reschedule it because it was pouring and the amount of electrical stuff that they had was bad. I’m not sure it would have been safe,” Junior Jackson Luria said.
Looking back at other concerts, such as Travis Scott’s 2018 rain performance, audiences usually report safety concerns. Tyler the Creator’s decision was not only to protect himself, but his fans and fellow artists.
“I think after what happened with Travis Scott’s concert I think it was a good idea to reschedule it instead of trying to push through it and having the artists sit in the rain, with the equipment and his fans, it just did not seem safe,” Evangelista said.
Some students had to resell or give away their tickets because they were not available to attend the festival on the rescheduled dates. This upset a lot of fans who paid and were prepared to attend, but ultimately had to miss out for this year.
“I’d still love to go but I [was] busy that weekend and [couldn’t] make it anymore,” Otten said.
However, other students were excited to hear about the rescheduling. Some Carlsbad High School students would not have been able to attend without the setback.
“It was good for me because previously I wouldn’t have been able to go because of a water polo situation,” Luria said.
Some students were against the rescheduling and believed the concert should have gone on in the rain. Some believed the rain was not a huge issue and could be pushed through.
“Honestly, I think that the show should have gone and that if you really were dedicated enough to go to Camp Flog Gnaw, you wouldn’t care if it was in 4 feet of water,” Sophomore Thomas Mulligan said.
Another major concern from the fans of rescheduling the festival was the lineup change. Since the delay was so sudden, many artists could not perform and needed to be replaced.
“Since Don Toliver couldn’t go, [Tyler]found other artists; that was a really good thing for him to do to try to make it up for having to reschedule,” Otten said.
New artists added to the shows included Fakemink, Geese and Kali Uchis. Some students felt super excited about the new additions, while others were sad to see some of their favorite artists not be able to attend.
“Before it got rescheduled I was most looking forward to seeing Clairo, because I have already seen Tyler, but now I am excited to see other artists I have not seen before,” Evangelista said.
Even though the festival had to go through changes, it still took place and was a success. Alongside the music, entertaining parts of Camp Flog Gnaw included the fair rides, food and overall experience. There were carnival rides ( like a ferris wheel) and food that was specific to LA such as Mexican street food and California-style pizza.
“The other parts of it make it a really fun experience other than just seeing the artists, so if there is an artist that you do not like, you can check out all the merch, food or carnival rides instead of listening to the music,” Otten said.
The rescheduling helped the festival continue, and Tyler the Creator hosted the 2025 Camp Flog Gnaw with success. With the food, rides, new artists and nice weather, CHS students who attended had a great experience.
“Though my favorite artist that was playing didn’t play the next weekend that I went, I still think it was super fun and I wouldn’t change it,” Junior Tristan Thornton said.
