'This Is Evil': Fans Reeling After Jay-Z's Made in America Festival Is Canceled Without Explanation The festival was set to begin on September 2.
By Emily Rella
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
Planned festival-goers and fans of Jay-Z are reeling after the rapper's production company Roc Nation canceled its annual Made in America festival in Philadelphia — with little to no explanation just weeks from when it was set to begin.
Organizers made the announcement via social media on Monday in a cryptic message that blamed the cancelation on "severe circumstances outside of production control," stating that the 2023 festival will not take place as planned on September 2nd and 3rd.
"This decision has been difficult and has not been made lightly nor without deliberation," the announcement reads. "Made in America has a legacy of delivering exceptional experiences for music fans and concertgoers, and it is out commitment to always deliver a top-tier festival experience."
This would have marked the 10th year of the festival.
The 2023 lineup was set to be headlined by SZA and Lizzo, the latter of which has been under fire in recent weeks after a lawsuit was filed by three former dancers alleging workplace harassment.
Hundreds took to the festival's Instagram account to lament about the sudden cancelation and the minimal information given about the decision.
"You really posted this before sending ticket holders an email???? Fire the whole marketing team," one person wrote.
"WOW this is evil - refund my flights too," another angrily wrote.
Festival organizers noted on social media that all ticket holders would be refunded fully.
Bad Bunny performs at the 2022 Made in America festival (Getty Images)
The festival has been a money-maker for the city of Philadelphia. In 2018, Jay-Z estimated that six years of the festival had made a "$102.8 million economic impact" on the historic metropolis, as well as paying "$3.4 million in rent to the city."
"We depend a lot on that," a cook at Corner Deli in Philadelphia named Jose Rios told local outlet CBS Philadelphia. "Made in America is good. You bring a lot of crowds -- a lot of beer [and] a lot of sandwiches."
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenny took to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, to express his disappointment over the swift cancelation of the festival.
I'm disappointed to hear that the 2023 @MIAFestival will not be taking place. We're grateful to the partners and festival goers who have contributed to this event's incredible success over the years, and we look forward to bringing MIA back to the Parkway next year. https://t.co/J2EReRjnK2
— Mayor Jim Kenney (@PhillyMayor) August 8, 2023
Last year's festival was headlined by Bad Bunny and Tyler, The Creator. It's estimated that roughly 85,000 people attended the two-day event.
