Los Angeles’ single-day Latin music festival Bésame Mucho this December has officially been called-off.
The festival was set to take place at Dodger Stadium on December 21, featuring Latin superstar headliners Shakira, Pitbull, Enrique Iglesias, and Los Tigres Del Norte. Promoters took to social media to share that the festival was cancelled due to “circumstances beyond our control.”
“We take great pride in our annual celebration of exceptional music and culture, connecting generations in a way no other event can,” organizers said in a statement. “After working tirelessly all year to bring you another unforgettable show this December, we are deeply disappointed to share this news.”
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Tickets will be automatically refunded via Front Gate Tickets within the next 30 days.
According to Rolling Stone, Shakira’s cancellation of her fall U.S. tour played a factor in the decision made by promoters, as her dates no longer aligned with the festival. Tickets started at $345 and VIP tickets were available for over $700.
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The second edition of Bésame Mucho in Austin is still set to go on as planned; the event was announced on November 19 and will kick-off at the Circuit of the Americas on April 5 with headliners Peso Pluma and Carin León.
This certainly isn’t the first festival to face its demise this year; the music festival scene has been dismal, with various events being cancelled across not only the U.S., but around the world. 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.
Across the pond, over 45 festivals in the U.K. were either cancelled or postponed, more than 60 Dutch festivals were called-off, and in Australia, large-name events like Splendour in the Grass and Groovin the Moo were cancelled. The rising cost of living, dynamic pricing, and ticket prices hikes are often to blame, but one thing is clear: festival season is not what it once was.
