Made in America Cancels 2023 Festival With Headliners Lizzo, SZA Due to ‘Severe Circumstances Outside of Production Control’
Two months after revealing “Special” collaborators Lizzo and SZA as headliners for this year’s Made in America festival, organizers shocked ticketholders on Tuesday (Aug. 8) by announcing that this year’s event is canceled.
“Due to severe circumstances outside of production control, the 2023 Made in America festival will no longer be taking place,” read a statement from the festival. “This decision has been difficult and has not been made lightly nor without immense deliberation. Made in America has a legacy of delivering exceptional experiences for music fans and concert goers, and it is our commitment to always deliver a top-tier festival experience.”
At press time a spokesperson for promoter Live Nation could not be reached for additional comment on what precipitated the cancelation of the event that was slated to take place on Sept. 2-3 at Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. The show was also scheduled to feature a joint set by Mase and Cam’ron, as well as performances by Miguel, Tems, Ice Spice, Metro Boomin, Doechii, Coi Leray, Latto, Lola Brooke, Coco Jones, TiaCorine, Flau’jae Johnson, Tanerélle, Lil Yachty and more.
Founded by Jay-Z in 2012, MIA has been rocking Philly nearly a decade, with one year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic before this year’s cancellation. Last year’s edition featured headliners Bad Bunny and Tyler, the Creator. In their statement, organizers said they look forward to returning to Ben Franklin Parkway next year, with refunds at the original point of purchase available for all of this year’s ticketholders.
Though the statement did not cite any specific details about what caused the cancellation, the news came just days after Lizzo responded to a lawsuit from three of her former dancers, who alleged that the “Truth Hurts” rapper sexually harassed her employees and created a hostile working environment; in a written statement in response to the suit, the Grammy winner insisted the claims were “false allegations” and “sensationalized stories.”
She also said that, “I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be these last few days.”
See the MIA announcement below.
Gil Kaufman
Billboard
