Festival News and Rumors
Pharrell Williams Pulls Something in the Water from Virginia Beach after Police Killed Cousin
Pharrell Williams will not be returning his music festival Something in the Water to his hometown of Virginia Beach in 2022, citing the city’s “toxic energy” and the March police killing of his 25-year-old cousin Donovan Lynch. The festival launched in 2019, but the 2020 and 2021 editions were cancelled due to COVID-19. Now, it seems the inaugural fest will be the only one held at Virginia Beach. “I love my city, but for far too long it has been run by and with toxic energy,” he wrote in an October 5th letter to Virginia Beach city manager Patrick Duhaney. “The toxic energy that changed the narrative several times around the homicide of my cousin, Donovan Lynch, a citizen of Virginia, is the same toxic energy that changed the narrative around the mass murder and senseless loss of life at B...
Baseball and Music Festival Innings Announces 2022 Lineup with Foo Fighters, Roger Clemens, Tame Impala
Innings Festival, the bizarre mashup of baseball and music that absolutely nobody asked for, has announced its 2022 lineup. Musical headliners include Foo Fighters, Tame Impala, St. Vincent, and My Morning Jacket, and the major leagues will be represented by Roger Clemens, Hall of Famer Tim Raines, Ryan Dempster, and more. The event takes place two days only, February 27th and 28th, while the confusion may last a lifetime. The fourth iteration of the annual event goes down at Tempe Beach Park & Arts Park, which is just a batting practice bomb away from Tempe Diablo Stadium, where MLB’s Los Angeles Angels host their spring training. Batting cages will be available, and in years past the stages have been given names like Home Plate, Right Field, and Left Field. Plus, the event will featu...
Glastonbury Festival: Public Urination Blamed for “Dangerous” Levels of MDMA, Cocaine in River
Glastonbury Music Festival has been linked to “dangerous” levels of MDMA and cocaine in the adjacent Whitelake River, and scientists believe they’ve found the, uh, number one problem. As BBC reports, public urination by festival goers is dumping toxic levels of drugs into the waterways around Somerset, UK. The 2020 and 2021 editions of the fest were cancelled due to COVID-19, and the new study looked at Glastonbury 2019. Researchers measured drug levels upstream and downstream of the site before, during, and after the festival. A week later, MDMA concentrations had quadrupled downstream. It’s unclear if the levels are high enough to effect humans, and this certainly isn’t an argument to open your mouth near people pissing. Part of the problem is that we’re not sure how damaging this waste ...
The What Podcast Plays Another Game of Fake Or Festival?
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google | Radio Public | RSS Keeping up with which festivals are happening and which are being canceled or postponed can be difficult enough, but Brad, Barry and Lord Taco have a little fun on The What Podcast playing Fake or Festival, a game that asks which is real and which is made up. (For more, you can revisit the July edition of the game here.) Editor’s Note: We’re keeping the spirit of Bonnaroo alive while supporting those in need of relief following Hurricane Ida with our new “Radiate Positivity” T-shirt at the Consequence Shop. A portion of proceeds will be going to the American Red Cross to help those affected by the storm, so grab yours now at the shop or via the buy-now button ...
On the Ground at Riot Fest: How are the Festival’s COVID-19 Protocols Holding Up?
Try not to feint from shock, but a festival named for violent disobedience is showing some indifference to following the rules. The question is whether Chicago’s Riot Fest 2021 can enforce enough of its own COVID-19 protocols to avoid becoming a super-spreader event. There’s one big reason to think it’s possible. Last month, Lollapalooza welcomed some 385,000 concert-goers in the middle of a pandemic, and only about 200 new COVID-19 cases were traced to the four-day event. That’s not the only evidence that Chicago can responsibly host many thousands of people in controlled outdoor settings. While it’s too early to make any judgments about the 2021 Pitchfork Music Festival, those coronavirus entrance requirements were stricter than most. Besides that, organizers heavily encouraged...
Support Hurricane Ida Relief Efforts with Our “Radiate Positivity” T-Shirt
Hurricane Ida and the resulting Tropical Depression forced the cancellation of Bonnaroo, a crushing blow to music fans across the country who were hungry to return to be The Farm. But let’s be honest, that’s far from the worst of the devastation this storm caused. That’s why we’ve decided to keep the Roo spirit alive while supporting relief efforts with our “Radiate Positivity” benefit T-shirt. Our original design aims to celebrate the energy of one of America’s greatest music festivals, demonstrating that even the nastiest of weather can’t keep us down for long. And to help others get back on their feet, we’re donating 50% of net proceeds to the American Red Cross’ Hurricane Ida relief efforts. Thanks to our direct-to-garment printing process, we’re able to offer this shirt in a vari...
The Aftermath of Bonnaroo’s Cancelation on The What Podcast
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google | Radio Public | RSS A week ago, we were supposed to be getting ready to return to Manchester, Tennessee for Bonnaroo. Instead, Hurricane Ida rolled through and canceled everyone’s plans. Okay, so we saw the storm coming, but we didn’t anticipate it coming like this. We certainly didn’t think “too much water” would be the reason Bonnaroo wouldn’t happen for the second year in a row. After the year we’ve had, who did? Advertisement Related Video With what should have been ‘Roo weekend behind us, Brad, Barry, and Lord Taco of The What Podcast gather again to discuss whether the cancellation of Bonnaroo was the right call, how people made the best of the situation, and where things might go fr...
Golden Sand Destination Hip-Hop Festival Brings 50 Cent, TLC, Ludacris to Riviera Maya
Pollen Presents, a technology company known for its event experience packages, has announced the lineup for its first-ever Golden Sand destination music festival. Taking place January 12th-16th, 2022, Golden Sand aims to present an immersive weekend filled with classic hip-hop and R&B, luxury resort amenities, and adventures all along the gorgeous beaches of Riviera Maya, Mexico. The Phase 1 lineup includes 50 Cent, TLC, Kelly Rowland, Ludacris, Nelly, Flo Rida, Sean Paul, T-Pain, Fat Joe, and Lil’ Kim, with more artists to be announced soon. Beyond the music, attendees will be able to indulge in the all-inclusive services of the Barcelo Riviera Maya resort. That includes all premium food and beverages from over a dozen restaurants and bars, 11 swimming pools, jungle adventures, yoga, ...
Bonnaroo Announces Make-Up Concert with Phoebe Bridgers, Brittany Howard, Sylvan Esso
For Bonnaroo fans who are all dressed up with no where to go, festival organizers have announced a make-up concert on September 4th with Phoebe Bridgers, Brittany Howard, and Sylvan Esso. The 2021 festival was supposed to start today, September 2nd, and run through Sunday, September 5th, before downpours from Hurrican Ida flooded the farm’s 700 acres. This new event will be held on Saturday at Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville, TN, a site with a capacity of around 6,800. Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken with 48 hours of admittance is required. Bridgers was added to the roster this year. Howard and Sylvan Esso were first announced with the 2020 lineup, though that festival was subsequently cancelled due to COVID-19. As in 2020, Sylvan Esso will hope to present...
Manchester, Tennessee Schools Close Due to Bonnaroo Traffic Changes Following Hurricane Ida
Update: Bonnaroo 2021 is officially canceled. While some schools close down for religious holidays or dangerous weather, only a select few get the honor of shutting down because of their proximity to high-profile music festivals. Earlier today, Manchester City Schools in Tennessee announced that students will no longer be expected to attend classes this week due to traffic patterns from Bonnaroo. “Due to expected increased traffic volume because of weather related changes to Bonnaroo entry, Manchester City Schools will be closed Wednesday, September 1. Students will return on September 7. There will be no extended care,” reads a statement on the school’s Facebook page. Two elementary schools and one middle school will be directly impacted by the changes, and hopefully any kid that was cont...
Bonnaroo Canceled Due to Unsafe Conditions Caused by Hurricane Ida
Just days before Bonnaroo was set to kick off, organizers have pulled the plug on the annual music festival due to unsafe conditions caused by Hurricane Ida. In a message emailed to fans and shared via social media, Bonnaroo organizers explained that much of Centeroo (where the stages and activations are set) and the surrounding campgrounds became so waterlogged from rain that the grounds have been rendered unusable and unsafe. “We are absolutely heartbroken to announce that we must cancel Bonnaroo,” read the note. “While this weekend’s weather looks outstanding, currently Centeroo is waterlogged in many areas, the ground is incredibly saturated on our tollbooth paths, and the campgrounds are flooded to the point that we are unable to drive in or park vehicles safely.” Advertisement Relate...
Olympia Music Festival Scammed by Fake Jonathan Richman
Up until Friday, August 27th, Modern Lovers singer Jonathan Richman was scheduled to headline LoveOly Summer Fest in Olympia, Washington — or so the organizers thought. As it turns out, the Olympia Film Society fell victim to “an elaborate booking scam” and neither Richman nor his publicist knew anything about the concert until they were contacted for an interview. As reported by The Olympian, the scam was uncovered when Mark “Markly” Morrison, host of the Low Profile podcast, contacted Richman’s publicist Debbie Gulyas to request an interview with the veteran singer-songwriter. Both Gulyas and Richman were “confused,” as they had no knowledge about his festival appearance until receiving the email. The Film Society, which books concerts for the weekly festival, had slated Richma...
