Made in America festival nixed ... again
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Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
Jay-Z's Made in America festival is canceled for a second consecutive year.
Why it matters: The reversal raises questions about the future of the two-day event on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philly.
The latest: A brief statement by event organizers on the festival's social media pages says the production team is "reimaging a live music experience."
- "We promise an exciting return to the festival," they add.
Yes, but: The statement does not include when and where the festival may return.
- Jay-Z's entertainment company, Roc Nation, which puts on the festival, did not respond to email requests for comment.
Context: The announcement came a day after Axios Philly's Mike D'Onofrio reported that festival organizers were up against a deadline to request permits from the city to hold the event.
What they're saying: "This is definitely bad news for us," Ed Grose, executive director of the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association, tells Axios about the festival's cancelation.
- "It will be very hard to replace the business that we would see from a Made in America concert" he added.
By the numbers: The festival draws about 50,000 fans a day.
- Since its launch in 2012, the festival has generated more than $180 million in economic activity, festival producers have estimated.
Flashback: Organizers abruptly canceled the 2023 festival weeks before it was scheduled to take place.
- Festival producers said at the time that the event would return in 2024.
Between the lines: Roc Nation has fended off complaints from residents and city officials in the past.
- A push to relocate the festival off the parkway in 2018 by then-Mayor Jim Kenney was scrapped after public backlash.
- Some Fairmount residents, the neighborhood where the festival takes place, complained for years about road closures, noise and trash.
The intrigue: It remains to be seen whether Mayor Cherelle Park supports the festival's return.
- A spokesperson for the mayor did not immediately return a request for comment.
The bottom line: Christian "TAMEARTZ" Rodriguez, a local artist who produces the Hip-Hop in the Park festival, tells Axios that Made in America organizers have failed to engage and promote enough Philly talent while noting that past ticket prices — averaging $230-$260 — were too high for many.
- "The powers that be that run it don't have a pulse on the city," he says.

