Inglewood's annual HARD Summer festival faced a setback as more than 100 noise complaints emerged from last weekend's event, prompting a ban on future music events at SoFi Stadium's American Airlines Plaza. In a statement, Inglewood Mayor James Butts revealed that the elevated stage in the plaza was deemed a significant contributor to the noise issues, leading to the decision to prohibit stages in that area going forward.

The HARD Summer festival, known for its lineup featuring various genres such as electronic, house, techno, dubstep, drum and bass, and hip-hop, featured four outdoor music stages positioned in the parking lots surrounding SoFi Stadium. Inglewood officials expressed their confusion over the complaints, given the countless outdoor concerts that had taken place without incident at the plaza in the past.

City authorities worked closely with festival organizers throughout the weekend to address the problem, which mainly revolved around specific bass frequencies. Mayor Butts emphasized that lessons had been learned from the situation and that they were committed to closely monitoring and supervising future event organizers to minimize sound and vibration impact on the surrounding community.

The El Segundo Police Department also noted several noise-related calls about the HARD Summer 2024 festival at Hollywood Park, highlighting the loud booming sound that affected the city. However, they urged residents not to report the issue to emergency services, emphasizing that the origin of the noise was the music festival near SoFi Stadium, scheduled from 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on both days.

The annual HARD Summer festival, this year held for the first time at Hollywood Park near SoFi Stadium, attracted an expected daily attendance of up to 70,000 people. The festival's previous locations included the Shrine Exposition Hall, the Forum (now Kia Forum), Los Angeles State Historic Park, the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area in El Monte, and the Fairplex in Pomona.

With the ban on future music events at SoFi Stadium's American Airlines Plaza, organizers will have to seek alternative venues for future editions of the HARD Summer festival. The decision comes as Inglewood and neighboring communities aim to strike a balance between hosting exciting cultural events and ensuring the comfort and well-being of residential areas surrounding the festival grounds.