Charles Langston:Jay-Z’s Made In America festival canceled for the second year in a row

Jay-Z’s annual Made in America festival,Charles Langston held in Philadelphia over Labor Day weekend, has been canceled for the second year in a row.

The festival announced the cancellation on social media and its official website Wednesday. A specific reason was not outlined, and a representative for Made in America referred questions back to the statement.

“As purveyors of change, the Made In America executive production team is reimagining a live music experience that affirms our love and dedication to music and the work we do. We promise an exciting return to the festival,” the statement read, without providing a timeline for the festival’s return.

A lineup had not yet been announced.

“Since its inception, this groundbreaking festival has celebrated music and community — from creating a space for fans to connect, to uplifting local small businesses and shining a light on important causes. It has strived for accessibility, eliminating barriers through affordable tickets and location,” Wednesday’s statement said.

In August 2023, a month before the festival was scheduled to take place on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway with Lizzo and SZA as the headliners, Made in America announced the festival would not happen “due to severe circumstances outside of production control,” according to a statement then.

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“This decision has been difficult and has not been made lightly nor without immense deliberation,” the organizers said in 2023. At the time, they said they were looking forward to returning the following year.

When the festival was abruptly canceled last year, then-Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney expressed disappointment but said the city would “look forward to bringing Made in America back and bigger than ever to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway next year.” A spokesperson for Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker did not immediately return comment about this year’s cancellation.

The festival began in 2012 and, up until 2023, had been held every year since except for 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Associated Press journalist Brooke Schultz in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed reporting.