Community Chat

[Mz iMac]

Made in America music festival cancelled

In a post on social media on Tuesday, organizers said the festival will no longer take place 'due to circumstances outside of production control'

August 8, 2023 • Updated 2 hours ago

NBC Universal, Inc.

Officials announced the 2023 Made In America festival has been canceled “due to circumstances outside of production control.” This has left ticket holders and Philly businesses disappointed. NBC10’s Miguel Martinez-Valle has more on the impact of this cancellation.

What to Know

• Jay-Z’s annual Made in America festival in Philadelphia has been canceled.
• he festival cited “severe circumstances outside of production control” for the abrupt cancellation, which came two months after the lineup was released. No additional details were shared.
• The festival has been held over Labor Day weekend in Philadelphia every year since 2012, with the exception of 2020 due to COVID-19. Lizzo and SZA were this year’s headliners.

Philadelphia's Made in America music festival -- featuring Lizzo and SZA -- was suddenly cancelled on Tuesday.

In a post on an official account on social media, organizers said the festival will no longer take place 'due to circumstances outside of production control.'

A source tells NBC News "ticket sales were not good."

SZA and Lizzo were set to headline the 2023 Made in America Festival. It would have been held on Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Sept. 2 and Sept. 3, 2023.

The posting notes that all ticket holders will be able to get refunds and that organizers plan to bring the festival back to the city next year.

While organizers have provided few details as to why the festival was cancelled outright, Lizzo has recently been embroiled in some controversy.

SOURCE:  nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/made-in-america-reportedly-cancelled/3620770/

[PickyPicky3]

Will we ever know the real story? Doubtful.

[PA Mom-mom]

@Mz iMac  Yeah, I don't know why they cancelled. There are so many possible reasons. I never had any desire to attend, although I used to work for a company that tested the noise level for the art museum to make sure it wasn't harming anything. It was such a money maker for everyone. 

[bikerbabe]

They were probably going to need to replace Lizzo. There certainly is time so it has to come down to $ and poor ticket sales.

[Mz iMac]

@PickyPicky3   I am in agreement w/bikerbabe

@bikerbabe   👍🏾

I was also thinking the "back-up" dancers (male & female) of the other performers decided to back out in support of Lizzo's backup dancers.  Now it would take months for the "new" backup dancers to learn all the dance routines of the various groups and/or single performers.

I can't see poor ticket sales.  Millions if not thousands of people come out for the festival from all the tri-states.  Some from foreign countries.

I went to the very first one only because my children & grands were in town just for the festival & concert to see Jay-Z & Bouncy.  We all stayed at the Doubletree Hotel for the whole weekend instead of running back & forth from Joisey.  Fun times but, once was enough for me.

[PhilaLady1]

I hope that the reason for the cancellation is because of the Lizzo controversy, so that the festival will return to Philadelphia. They may be saying "we will be back next year", but who knows for sure.  

[FlyersGirl]

I don't know for sure that this is correct, but someone I know who works in a power position in Philly told me that, even prior to the Lizzo controversy, ticket sales were very weak due to a lack of interest in this year's lineup. But, who knows? 

[Spacrazy]

Hmmmmmm ???

[PickyPicky3]

I'm still stuck. Poor ticket sales doesn't make sense for such an enormously popular show.

I don't think the Lizzo lawsuits are strong enough at this point to bring her down, and I can't see the backup dancers refusing to perform.

It seems too close to Labor Day weekend for some financial backers to pull out.

I keep coming back to insurance or security or something like that, although there's nothing to suggest those areas. Like if the insurer's reinsurer developed some financial problem, leaving the insurer exposed.

?

[PhilaLady1]

Maybe not enough law enforcement to handle the enormous crowd and also the everyday happenings in the city.