On Tuesday, August 8, Philadelphia’s annual Made in America Festival, set to take place on September 2-3, was canceled. Held each year on Labor Day weekend, this two-day festival was created by rapper, producer and entrepreneur Jay-Z in 2012. The cancellation surprised many, as the headline artists had already been announced prior and the exact reason for its cancellation continues to be a mystery.
Throughout the years, Jay-Z invited some of the biggest artists of the time to perform at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, leading to the festival’s growing popularity. The festival embraced culture and music, joining together both music genres and people from all over. On Made in America’s debut, Jay-Z and the 90s rock band Pearl Jam performed together, combining modern rap with 90s grunge. While the festival has been largely dominated by hip-hop and R&B individual artists, pop artists and bands are almost always featured.
According to the official Made in America Festival’s Instagram account, the festival was canceled due to “severe circumstances outside of production control”. Little to no further explanation was provided besides that it was a difficult decision for Roc Nation, Jay-Z’s entertainment company, and it was not made lightly. There are many potential factors that relate to the announcement. Planning and executing a major event like this requires months of preparation, including booking artists, hiring staff and security, arranging logistics and promoting ticket sales. While there have been many theories as to why the festival was canceled, such as to avoid backlash against recent sexual harassment allegations against headline artist Lizzo or perhaps a decision made by the Philidelphia local government, no real reason has been announced by Roc Nation, entertainment company Live Nation, or planned featured artists.
Not only has the cancellation come as a major disappointment to ticket-buyers, but also to the local community. Made in America Festival serves as a major boost in Philadelphia’s economy, supporting local businesses. Hundreds of union workers, restaurant owners, and others look to the festival every year as a major source of revenue.
Concert-goers and local businesses can look forward to next year, as the Made in America Festival’s Instagram account wrote that the festival will be returning in 2024.