This year’s Juice Jam music festival sold out Wednesday for the first time in the event’s seven-year history.

 

Wednesday morning, 4,715 tickets had been purchased for Sunday’s Juice Jam. By the end of the day, the remaining 285 tickets sold out.

 

The high number of tickets sold indicates the level of excitement University Union and students have for the concert, said Samara Shwidock, UU public relations director. 

 

‘It’s incredible,’ Shwidock said. ‘We’re really excited to expect such a high turnout and happy that students are just as excited as UU is.’ 

 

The diversity of this year’s lineup, which includes Lupe Fiasco, Passion Pit and Super Mash Bros., has contributed to the Juice Jam buzz. 

 

‘I’ve been a huge Passion Pit fan for a while, and I was shocked when I found out they were playing at Juice Jam,’ said Vania Myers, a freshman magazine journalism major. ‘I like that the bands aren’t all mainstream. We have the radio for that. Juice Jam is going to be a success, and I’m sure that I won’t be disappointed.’

 

Other students, like Gerald Obah, a junior marketing and supply chain management major, said they were surprised by the sellout.

 

Obah planned on buying a ticket Wednesday after class, until he found out at around 2 p.m. the concert was sold out. Obah waited until Wednesday to buy a ticket because he did not think the lineup was enough to entice a sold-out crowd.

 

‘This year’s lineup is just kind of ‘eh,” he said.

 

Though Obah is not thrilled about the lineup, he said it will be weird not attending, as he went his previous two years at SU. Now, he said he will have to resort to asking around to see if anyone has an extra ticket.

 

‘At the same time, I’m not going to lose sleep about not getting a ticket,’ he said.

 

Other students said they are excited to hear the bands, but also to spread the word about their clubs and organizations, as student groups often set up tables at Juice Jam.

 

‘I’m hoping it will be better than last year because the lineup was a little lackluster, in my opinion,’ said Aspen Debyah, a sophomore magazine journalism and retail management major. ‘But I’m excited to see Super Mash Bros. and be able to spread the word about Pi Beta Phi recruitment while I’m there.’

 

The weather may put a bit of a literal damper on the event, as the current forecast for Sunday predicts temperatures in the mid-60s and a 50 percent chance of rain.

 

The Department of Public Safety will work with Chestnut Street Security, Inc. and the special events staff at the Schine Student Center to enforce Juice Jam safety policies.

 

‘Juice Jam is a reoccurring event, so we already have a good security plan in place,’ said Capt. John Sardino of DPS, who is in charge of safety for the event.

 

Students will not be allowed to bring backpacks into the event. DPS will check IDs to ensure everyone in attendance is part of the SU community, as well as monitor the perimeter to make sure no one sneaks in.

 

He said there will also be a command center set up to address any medical problems that may arise. ‘We’ll be closely monitoring the event from start to finish,’ he said.

 

ertocci@syr.edu

 

News Editor Beckie Strum contributed reporting to this article.