Desert Daze Cancels 2024 Edition, Cites ‘Volatile Festival Market’
Desert Daze was slated to kick-off at Moreno Beach in Lake Perris, California this October, however, the four-day event was cancelled less than two weeks after announcing a final lineup.
The festival was scheduled to run from October 10 to 13, featuring headlining performances from R&B’s Thundercat and indie’s Cigarettes After Sex, alongside the iconic rocker Jack White. Then, over the weekend, organizers took to social media to reveal that it is “no longer possible to execute the weekend as planned,” citing “rising production costs and the current volatile festival market.”
— Desert Daze (@desertdaze) August 30, 2024
“Desert Daze is more than a festival or business venture to us,” Desert Daze co-founder Phil Pirrone said in a statement. “The community that we’ve cultivated together means so much to us and is the reason we will work to find a way to keep this beautiful thing going for many years to come.”
“With each year, we do our best to serve the Desert Daze community. We are always learning and working diligently to improve the experience, and we tried everything to find a way forward this year. While we hit pause for now, we will be working in the background to deliver another special experience for all of us to share in the future. We thank you for your support.”
| READ: Study: 44% of British Music Enthusiasts Cut Back on Festivals |
In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, Pirrone noted that economically, “it’s a tough year for everybody.”
“I think it goes beyond the music industry,” Pirrone told the publication. “I think everything is too expensive right now. You know the cost of putting on an event, whether you’re a small festival or a big festival, nobody’s immune to it right now. If you compare the cost of putting on a festival even a few years ago, line by line, you’re just like, wow.”
| READ: Festival Season Hits Lull With Dozens Cancelled This Summer |
This year alone has been a chaotic year for festivals across the globe. In Australia, large-name events like Splendour in the Grass and Groovin the Moo festivals have been called-off this year, while Ireland has seen the cancellation of major events like Body and Soul in County Westmeath and Wild Roots in County Sligo.
Even in the U.S., festivals are struggling. Coachella, a once-coveted event, took one month to sell-out of its first weekend — marking the longest sellout for the first time in 10 years. The second weekend failed to sell out. Other festivals didn’t even make the cut, as Firefly announced it would not return to Dover and Jay-Z’s Made in America festival was called-off for the second year in a row. Lovers & Friends’ inaugural festival was also cancelled, as well as Backwoods Festival and Kickoff Jam.
