TAMPA (CelebrityAccess) — The Tampa Sports Authority board voted unanimously Monday to continue to let the popular Sunset Music Festival call the city home, but added a new list of requirements for the festival aimed at public safety.
The new safety requirements for the festival include greater access to water, bigger cooling stations, extra drug sniffing dogs and a bigger law enforcement presence, Bay News reported.
Organizers for the event agreed to implement the changes for next year's festival.
"I want to be clear: Protecting the health and safety and welfare of our community and our fans is our top priority," John Santoro with the Sunset Music Festival said, according to Bay News.
The festival sparked controversy earlier this year after 57 people were hospitalized and two people died of accidental drug overdoses at this year's festival, which took place on Memorial Day weekend.
The deaths led some officials, including Tampa's Mayor Bob Buckhorn, to question if the festival was a good fit for Tampa.
"This is not the type of event Tampa wants to be known for," Buckhorn told ABC affiliate WFTS earlier this year. – Staff Writers
