Sol Blume founder sued for contract breach as questions remain over festival’s future
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Lyte Inc. sued Sol Blume founder Fornati Kumeh over unpaid $1.5M advance.
- The advance, tied to a 2024 event, accrued nearly $229K in interest to date.
- Festival's future remains unclear as 2025 event date nears with no updates.
Sacramento music festival Sol Blume and its founder are being sued by their former ticketing partner for repayment of a $1.5 million advance, plus interest.
Ticket platform Lyte Inc. filed a breach of contract suit earlier this month in Sacramento Superior Court. The ticketing platform, now under control of liquidators, alleges it extended the advance to the festival and founder Fornati Kumeh in December 2023 ahead of the now-canceled 2024 event at Discovery Park.
As of June 17, the day before the lawsuit was officially filed, Lyte said it had not been repaid. With interest accruing at 10% daily, the tab had grown to nearly $229,000, according to the June 18 court filing.
Under the December 2023 master services agreement, Lyte agreed to serve as Sol Blume’s exclusive ticket provider and provide the $1.5 million advance. Kumeh, in turn, agreed to repay the amount along with associated fees, costs and expenses.
The agreement included a personal guaranty from Kumeh, obligating him to repay the funds without requiring Lyte to pursue collections or legal action.
In 2023, Sol Blume drew about 46,000 fans to Discovery Park for its fourth annual edition, doubling attendance from a record-setting 2022. That year’s lineup featured Brent Faiyaz, Kehlani and Teyana Taylor.
The 2024 festival was to expand to a three-day event with headliners including SZA, Doechii and Snoh Aalegra. But floodwaters inundated Discovery Park, prompting organizers to postpone the festival to August, citing “significant site damage and growing safety concerns.” The date was later pushed to August 2025.
With the rescheduled date now little more than a month away, the festival’s website reads only: “Coming Soon.”
Kumeh and Sol Blume representatives could not immediately be reached for comment. In a statement to ABC10, a legal representative said the festival is “actively working toward resolution” of the matter.
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