NOLA Jazz Fest, more concerts cancel over new COVID concerns

For the second year in a row, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival scheduled to take place from October 8 –17 has been canceled due to coronavirus concerns.

The festival cited the “current exponential growth of new COVID cases in New Orleans and the region” as well as the “ongoing public health emergency” ad the reasons for the cancellation

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival will now be held from April 29 – May 8, 2022.

More cancellations to come?

Many in the touring industry worry that Jazz Fest is just the first in a growing list of concerts and festivals canceling as COVID cases rise again. Even in areas less affected by the resurgence, fan fears may begin to dampen tickets sales.

Also, an increasing number of vaccinated band and crew members are reporting breakthrough infections.

Collectively, this could lead to a patchwork of cancellations which in Europe has already made launching major tours impossible.

In addition to Jazz Fest and numerous local cancellations, in just the last few days:

• Garth Brooks has paused ticket sales on his early Fall stadium run as he “rethinks” his touring plans. “It breaks my heart to see city after city go on sale and then have to ask those sweet people and the venues to reschedule,” said Brooks. “We have a three week window coming up where we, as a group, will assess the remainder of the stadium tour this year. It’s humbling to see people put this much faith in you as an artist, and it kills me to think I am letting them down.”
• Fall Out Boy has had to cancel their appearance on mutlitple dates announced on the Hella Mega stadium tour with Green Day, Weezer and the Interrupters after “an individual on the band’s team” tested positive even after being vaccinated.
• Lynyrd Skynyrd postponed four upcoming performances after the band’s longtime guitarist Rickey Medlocke tested positive for Covid-19.
• Michael Bublé announced the postponement of 10 U.S. shows. “I do not want to put my fans at risk, nor my band and crew, by putting them in a situation that could possibly affect their health and therefore their friends and family. It is better for me to reschedule these shows to a time when all of us are confident that we can relax and enjoy the show,” he said in astatement.
• Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings announced that the U.S. “Together Again – Live In Concert” tour has been canceled due to the pandemic.
• Pete Parada, drummer for the rock band The Offspring, announced he that has been fired after declining to be vaccinated.

PLUS: More venues are adding vaccine, mask mandates. Will they hurt or help the return of live music?

Bruce Houghton is Founder and Editor of Hypebot and MusicThinkTank and serves as a Senior Advisor to Bandsintown which acquired both publications in 2019. He is the Founder and President of the Skyline Artists Agency and a professor for the Berklee College Of Music.