Three Major Music Festivals Were Just Canceled

Despite the recent heatwaves, the summer remains a popular time for music festivals. They’re a great way for audiences to see their favorite performers and a reliable moneymaking venture for the artists and the cities where they perform. On the flip side, festivals can be a very costly endeavor, and holding an unsuccessful one can spell disaster for its organizers, in which case it’s better to cancel altogether. This was the unfortunate fate of three shows in particular, with swathes of anticipating fans left disappointed.

Lights On Festival

Lights On Festival, organized by Grammy Award-winning artist H.E.R, has been canceled less than a month before its scheduled return, reported Pollstar. It was set to take place on September 16-17 at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California, and was organized by Live Nation Urban and curated by the singer. Among the performers were H.E.R. and Friends, Jazmine Sullivan, PartyNextDoor, Don Toliver, Alina Baraz, Tooshi, Smino, and more. “Due to unforeseen circumstances, Lights On Festival will not take place this year,” festival representatives told the San Francisco Chronicle on Aug. 22 in a statement released to the media. “We sincerely appreciate and value the Lights On Festival community and look forward to returning with an incredible experience in 2024.” 

Founded in 2019, Lights On Festival held its second edition in 2021. According to a post on the Live Nation website, “Unfortunately, the Event Organizer has had to cancel your event. No action is required to obtain a refund. It will be processed to the original method of payment used at time of purchase, once funds are received from the Event Organizer, which is usually completed within 30 days.” The Lights On ticket sale began in late June.

Treeline Music Fest

Treeline Music Fest, formerly Roots N Blues, has been canceled for 2023 in Columbia, Missouri, according to St. Louis Magazine. The annual festival announced the cancellation via Instagram Thursday afternoon, citing “significantly higher than expected expenses that have made it impossible to produce this event to the standard the community deserves.” As part of the 2023 line-up, an expanded range of artists was introduced to the festival to expand its reach. Some of the featured performers at the event included MUNA, The Robert Clark Band, Jo Dee Messina, Salt-n-Pepa, Japanese Breakfast, Noah Cyrus, and others. According to the announcement, refunds will be processed on behalf of ticket purchasers who bought tickets directly through Front Gate Tickets within 30 days of the original payment method being used. 

1234 FEST

Inaugural punk festival 1234 FEST, which was set to take place in Denver and Philadelphia on Sept. 9 and Sept. 23, respectively, is no longer occurring, per Kerrang!. A headlining band, Rise Against, announced the cancellation in a short statement: “The promoters of 1234 FEST decided to cancel due to circumstances beyond their control. We’ll be back to Denver and Philly as soon as we can. Thanks for understanding.”Aside from fellow headliners Rancid, Jawbreaker, and Descendents, the rest of the line-up was to include Joyce Manor, Pussy Riot, and Dilinger Four.

However, this cancellation has a happy ending for some punk music fans; Jawbreaker have announced makeup dates in both Philadelphia and Denver in the wake of their scheduled appearances at 1234Fest being canceled. The band will play a free Denver show this Friday (9/8) with Grumpster at Levitt Pavilion. Tickets are on sale now for the Philly show, which is later this month, on Sept. 23 outside Ukie Club. Featured bands will be Tigers Jaw, Grumpster, Ace Enders, and Matt Rosa. In addition, Jawbreaker has upcoming dates with Joyce Manor. Moreover, H.E.R. is still performing, joining Coldplay on their “Music Of The Spheres World Tour,” which includes a stop at Lumen Field Event Center in Seattle on Sept. 20. Additionally, she will perform at Los Angeles’ Crossroad Guitar Festival on Sept. 24.