The promotion company Insomniac, Inc. has sued the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) following the Convention Center’s cancellation of a Tiesto concert that had been scheduled for the end of October.

The city banned any future raves at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum after an attendee at a rave party at the venue in July died from a drug overdose. The promoter of that rave is now suing the Convention Center. (photo by Edwin Folven)

Insomniac also promoted the Electric Daisy Carnival, a rave that took place in June at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. A 15-year-old girl died of a drug overdose at the event, while more than 100 others were taken to the hospital. The Coliseum Commission, which oversees the venue, decided not to book any more raves, but honored existing contracts. The Love Fest, which was not promoted by Insomniac, was held last month at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.  An increased security force arrested more than 80 people, but there were few injuries, compared with the Electric Daisy Carnival.

In the past, Insomniac has held the Tiesto concert at the Shrine Auditorium, but this April the company agreed to stage the popular electronic DJ’s event at the LACC, after courtship from LACC staff, according to Insomniac’s lawyers. Before tickets were to go on sale, however, the Convention Center cancelled the show.

John A. Lawrence, whose firm Dongell, Lawrence and Finney, LLP represents Insomniac, Inc., said he hopes the two sides can reach an agreement in time for the show to take place.

“Right before tickets go on sale, they say the Daisy Carnival is a good reason to cancel the show,” Lawrence said. “Well, legally, it’s not a good reason. This is a political hot potato, and an overreaction on the part of the LACC. We want to have LACC let the concert go forward. We don’t want a lawsuit.”

Lawrence said that Insomniac had agreed to increase security at the event, and also pointed out the differences between the Tiesto concert — a 17,000-seat event — and the Electric Daisy Carnival— a multi-day festival attended by 180,000 people.

The LACC would not comment on the cancellation of the show or the lawsuit.