As Students Denied Refunds, Blame Game Begins Over Harvard-Yale Pregame Debacle

The company in charge of ticketing for a mismanaged Harvard-Yale pregame at a Boston nightclub said it would not reimburse most students for their tickets, as the promoter and the venue blamed each other for the botched event.

More than 100 students were left stranded in the rain on Friday as they waited in line for hours to enter the Royale nightclub in Boston, where the promotions company Viral Motions co-organized a pregame party with Harvard final clubs. Some students who didn’t gain entry to the nightclub had paid up to $100 for tickets to attend the event.

The finger-pointing started on Monday as a representative for Viral Motions cast blame on Royale for “venue management issues,” while Royale claimed that their team was instructed by Viral Motions to keep the venue closed to attendees amid delays with DJs and the sound system.

Viral Motions wrote in a Monday email to ticket holders that “several factors contributed to a disappointing experience” for students, including poor planning by Royale, bad weather, and attendees seemingly being unaware that their tickets included access to two other adjacent venues.

In a follow-up statement to The Crimson, Viral Motions specifically took aim at the venue, writing that “Royale’s failure to open doors on time, lack of adequate crowd management, a subset of students busting through the barriers and bumrushing the Royale security, and insufficient security” contributed to the event descending into chaos.

Royale, however, attributed the mayhem to Viral Motions’ poor planning ahead of the event.

Jamison LaGuardia, Vice President of Sales and Operations for the Royale Entertainment Group, wrote in a statement that Royale was ready to open its doors on time, but they were delayed due to the late arrival of DJs.

“Our management team proposed allowing attendees to enter early and be directed to the balcony while preparations were finalized, but we were instructed by the promoters to hold off until the sound system was operational and the lights were set as per their event vision,” he wrote.

LaGuardia also rejected Viral Motions’ claims that the venue did not have enough security to properly manage the crowd.

“Royale had its full complement of security staff, equivalent to what we deploy for sold-out concert nights,” he wrote. “To further ensure safety, additional security personnel from our other venues in the building were called in.”

Though Viral Motions primarily held Royale responsible for leaving students out in the rain, the company apologized to ticket holders.

“This experience has been a valuable lesson, and we will work diligently to ensure future events are more organized and enjoyable,” Viral Motions wrote in the email to attendees. “We are truly sorry for the inconvenience and disappointment, and we appreciate your understanding as we address these challenges and strive to do better."

Instead of a refund, Viral Motions offered students “free access” to upcoming events in December, including to the opening night of a new campus bar at Harvard on Dec. 5.

But some students who requested refunds said they were dissatisfied with the Monday email.

Harold H. Klapper ’25, who tried to refund his $65 ticket, called the email “disingenuous.”

“The other two venues that they claimed were open weren’t necessarily that publicized,” Klapper said. “The perception among all my friends was that the main event was at the Royale.”

LaGuardia, the Royale representative, wrote that overselling by Viral Motions resulted in some students having a bad experience at the pregame.

“While we are not interested in engaging in a ‘he said, she said’ debate, it is crucial to acknowledge that the evening’s issues were not due to mismanagement by Royale,” he wrote.

“Instead, they stemmed from organizational shortcomings on the part of the promotional company,” LaGuardia added. “Overselling the event and having large groups of attendees arrive simultaneously on party buses created a volatile situation that placed undue strain on an otherwise well-prepared operation.”

Viral Motions wrote in a statement that “tickets were not oversold.”

“The combined capacity of the three venues was sufficient to accommodate all attendees,” the company wrote. “Royale never reached capacity inside and there were hundreds of check-ins after midnight.”

However, most students said that they were less interested in ascribing blame and more frustrated with the lack of refunds.

Pavan V. Pandurangi ’25 wrote in a text message that he was disappointed by the decision to not issue refunds.

“I don’t think it makes sense at all,” he wrote. “Either refund everyone or refund no one… preferably everyone.”

Hudson D. Yang ’25-’26, who paid $85 for his ticket, said that “it wasn’t the fault of the A.D. or the Fly or Royale.”

“It was the fault of every individual who went to that fucking party, just cutting in line and causing a problem for everyone else,” he added.

Viral Motions wrote in a Monday evening statement that “the event was not hosted by finals clubs, nor was it advertised as such.” But according to a screenshot obtained by The Crimson and several student interviews, the event was described as affiliated with the final clubs, including in internal final club group chats.

While Yang said he believed the decision to only issue refunds for those who reserved tables was “a little bit of bullshit,” he doesn’t think it’s worth spending time trying to get his money back.

“I don’t think it’s worth the hassle,” he said.

—Staff writer Azusa M. Lippit can be reached at azusa.lippit@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @azusalippit or on Threads @azusalippit.

—Staff writer Grace E. Yoon can be reached at grace.yoon@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @graceunkyoon.