Another festival is officially calling it quits in 2025.
J. Cole’s Dreamville Fest is set to take its final bow next year; the rapper revealed that the 2025 event would be its fifth and final edition. As previously announced, the 2025 festival is set to take place from April 5 to 6 at Raleigh, North Carolina’s Dorothea Dix Park.
Cole shared the news on Instagram, noting that “we can’t thank ya’ll enough for all the memories we’ve shared.”
“From the very beginning, the idea behind the fest was creating a place where our fans, the Dreamville community, could spend time together, a place where they could see themselves reflected, a place to share in experiences,” Cole said. “Let’s run it back one more time in April!”
The lineup has not been revealed at this time, though the previous edition featured Cole alongside SZA, 50 Cent, Nicki Minaj, Schoolboy Q, Sexyy Red, and more.
“From the moment the idea of a festival took shape, we couldn’t help but wonder: were we in over our heads?” Cole continued. “Would people come to our home in Raleigh? What would that even look like? We took a leap of faith — breaking ground, making announcements, and event navigating rescheduled due to the elements and a world that seemed to be falling apart. Through every challenge and milestone, our community stood by us.”
Cole nor Dreamville festival organizers revealed why 2025 would be the festival’s final edition, it’s likely due to rising costs in the industry. Earlier this month, Black Deer Festival was cancelled after seven years due to “unpredictable ticket sales and every rising production costs” and Cambridge Club festival called-off its 2025 event for the first time since its 2016 debut.
| READ: Festival Season Hits Lull With Dozens Cancelled This Summer |
They’re not alone; according to Digital Music News, more than 170 music festivals have called it quits this year.
An increase in the cost of living and a spike in costs are partially to blame; according to a Sky News analysis, festival ticket prices have risen 17% in five years, totaling €165.92 in 2024. There are also other factors at play, including the reconstruction of festivals post-pandemic and the increase in production costs.
Freddie Fellowes of The Secret Garden Party told Sky News that global companies that have a share of the festival market can be compared to an “apex predator” noting that they are “there to make money and reward their shareholders. But they aren’t about supporting grassroots, talent, or anything like that.”
In Australia, large-name events like Splendour in the Grass and Groovin the Moo festivals have been called-off this year, and Ireland saw 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; 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, Kickoff Jam, Los Angeles’ Besame Mucho Festival, and the long-running Pitchfork Festival.
We conducted a poll earlier this week, asking our audience on X why they think so many festivals have been called-off this year. While a few people voted for rising production costs and the oversaturation of fests, a majority believed the cancellations were due to low ticket sales.
Why do you think so many music festivals have been cancelled across the globe this year?
— TicketNews (@TicketNews) December 9, 2024
