Organizers of J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival announced on Friday evening that the music festival, which was originally slated this year for April 4 but was pushed back to August 29, will not take place in 2020 due to continued concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic.
“After much deliberation and careful monitoring of the current situation, we have decided to cancel Dreamville Festival 2020,” the festival team wrote in a statement. “Although we originally hoped it would be possible to bring you the festival this August, the ongoing uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 pandemic has made this timeline no longer possible. This decision has been extremely difficult to make, but the safety of our fans, artists, and staff is always our top priority, and nothing will ever take precedence over your well-being.”
Event organizers say that all ticket holders will be issued a refund by May 22; for those who purchased passes through Front Grate Tickets, refunds will be issued in 7-10 days.
Dreamville, a music festival conceptualized by the producer and recording artist J. Cole, has faced unforeseen circumstances before: the event’s first iteration was scheduled to take place in September of 2018, but was re-scheduled to April 2019 when Hurricane Florence hit North Carolina.
The inaugural festival, last April at Raleigh’s Dix Park, drew a crowd of 40,000 attendees and featured top-tier talent, from Big Sean and SZA to Teyana Taylor and Nelly.
Contact deputy arts and culture editor Sarah Edwards at sedwards@indyweek.com.
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