Next up on this rollercoaster year of music news, 2021 is shaping up to have another dry festival season. With spring and early summer peering their once-music-filled-heads around winter’s corner, many of their usual festivals are either backing out or postponing.
We spoke about this in December, citing Hangout Music Festival’s hesitant status report. Their Twitter hasn’t posted more details yet, but the original update mentioned another statement to be released at the end of January, so the internet should be hearing from them any day now.
The article also mentioned Coachella, California’s elaborate spring festival, pointing to their curious lack of voice and social presence as 2020 came to a close. They have since stepped up to alert fans and festival-goers that their previously announced April weekend will not be a possibility this year.
Check out this Billboard article for more information on this 2021 cancellation.
And Coachella isn’t the only one…
Even a massive festival like Glastonbury is taking a backseat until large groups can safely gather. They released a statement on Twitter, promising fans a rollover ticket, and acknowledging the regret their team feels as, once again, their festival must be canceled.
Memphis’ Beale Street Music Festival also announced a cancellation, adding them to the list of music attractions that will be missed this spring.
“We gave it our best shot but found we could not replicate the festival at the level our fans and followers are accustomed to experiencing. Our top priority has always been and continues to be the health and safety of our fans, performers, volunteers, staff and the general public.“
Sweetwater 420 Fest and Ultra Music Festival have also been canceled. Ultra encourages fans to keep an eye out for new 2022 dates that they hope to lock in soon, while Sweetwater watches the vaccine rollout in hopes of some more progress. Although, at this stage, the festival will still remain canceled this year.
But it isn’t all negative!
Electric Forest and The Governors Ball are staying positive about 2021. Each festival has, of course, kept fans updated on social media, assuring their followers that they will be paying close attention to Covid guidelines and pandemic conditions as their weekends grow closer. Even though these two may not be spring/early summer anymore, their persistence still gives us a little extra hope for those late summer, and fall months.
So far, GovBall is sticking to their previously rescheduled September dates, while Electric Forest wavers between a typical June weekend, as well as two backups in August.
Honestly, I think a fall festival season could be a welcome shake-up to live music’s historically sweaty routine. I’ll take some crisp fall air any day. Stay tuned for more festival updates as we hurry toward spring!
