GRiZ has announced that Seven Stars Festival will not return to Oak Ridge Farm in Arrington, Virginia after two editions at the venue, upon learning the land was once a plantation.Earlier this week, a social media post drew attention to the history of the property, prompting calls for GRiZ to address it and ultimately decide to relocate his festival.
The ensuing online discourse grew hostile and the matter has remained a flashpoint across the rave community.According to the Oak Ridge Estate’s website, the land was seized during the Revolutionary War and passed down to the Rives family in 1793.
The site states that “the Rives family records do list 124 slaves at the property” in the 1800s.The family was forced to sell after the Civil War, and the land was bought by a wealthy West Virginian for his daughter and her husband, a former Confederate who designed the Confederate flag.
In a video posted to his social media yesterday, GRiZ said Seven Stars is taking an “intentional hiatus” to search for a new home.He said he learned about the land’s history last Sunday and members of his team were made aware of it before the festival’s debut after consulting educators at the University of Virginia, but did not bring that knowledge to him.
“This fell on my watch, and the failure is entirely mine,” GRiZ said.“To everyone I put in the position of processing this heavy reality without warning, from our dedicated fans to our artists and workshop leaders, I am deeply sorry.” He also addressed the POC members of his community directly.
“That response is utterly unacceptable,” he said.Seven Stars debuted in 2025 shortly after GRiZ returned from a two-year hiatus from touring, built around the community-first ethos he has long championed through his “Show Love, Spread Love” motto.
The second edition took place earlier this month.Scroll to continue more from edm Avicii’s Foundation Opens 7th Free Music Studio for...