Made in America festival, Jay-Z's renowned two-day music event that takes place annually during Labor Day weekend in Philadelphia, has canceled its 2023 festival.
Organizers for the event released a statement and cancellation announcement on Tuesday, August 8. "Due to severe circumstances outside of production control, the 2023 Made in America festival will no longer be taking place," read the statement. “This decision has been difficult and has not been made lightly nor without immense deliberation… We look forward to returning to Benjamin Franklin Parkway and the great city of Philadelphia in 2024.”
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Made in America 2023 was previously scheduled for September 2 and 3. Lizzo and SZA were set to perform in the headline slots this year; others on the lineup included Ice Spice, Lil Yachty, Miguel, Latto, Coi Leray, Metro Boomin, and Coco Jones among others. Made in America has since removed the 2023 flyer from all social media channels.
A source “close to the production” of the festival told NBC News that ticket sales for the event were “not good,” though it’s unclear if that was suggested to be the reason for cancellation. The festival's termination comes only a week after news broke of Lizzo’s recent involvement in a lawsuit filed this month by her former dancers alleging sexual harassment and a hostile work environment. Lizzo has denied all accusations in a public statement.
Per Made in America’s announcement, all ticket holders will be refunded. The festival was founded by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Entertainment in 2012; last year's event was headlined by Bad Bunny and Tyler the Creator, while previous years have hosted major artists like Beyoncé, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, and more.
