Regrettably, attendees of the Lovers and Friends festival weren’t even given a 24-hour advance notice of the cancellation, citing “dangerous weather” as per the event coordinators.
Source: Aaron J. Thornton / Getty
For the third consecutive year, the festival made its way back to Las Vegas, ready to kick off on Saturday with a lineup of music performers. The single-day festival fulfilled the dreams of many millennials, showcasing headliners like Usher, Janet Jackson, Backstreet Boys, and Alicia Keys.
The festival website stated that organizers had been closely monitoring the weather for days and taking proactive measures for a potentially windy Saturday. Despite their preparations, the National Weather Service issued a High Wind Warning, forecasting sustained winds of 30-35 mph and gusts exceeding 60 mph. Considering this advice and consulting with local authorities, organizers concluded that canceling tomorrow’s Lovers & Friends Festival was the safest choice for attendees, performers, and staff.
Reactions To Lovers And Friends Festival Cancellation
Even though the festival did its best to keep everyone safe, the news left attendees pretty upset. They vented their frustrations on social media.
This wasn’t the festival’s first bump in the road. Initially, it caused confusion when Blige was announced as one of the 2024 artists, only for her to deny it. A few days later, though, Blige confirmed her participation and a new flyer put her name first as a headliner.
Last year, Lil Jon considered a potential lawsuit against Live Nation. During the 2022 festival, a mistaken gun scare caused panic among the crowd. The incident resulted in three attendees’ hospitalization with minor injuries.
And let’s not forget when the inaugural Lovers & Friends lineup went public in 2020. Multiple singers and rappers publicly stated that they had no knowledge of their participation in the event, while others expressed dissatisfaction with the lineup.
Below you’ll find the complete cancellation statement.
“Lovers & Friends Festival organizers have been monitoring the weather for several days and proactively preparing for a windy Saturday. However, the National Weather Service has now issued a High Wind Warning, including dangerous 30-35 mph sustained winds with gusts potentially more than 60 mph. Following advice from the National Weather Service and in consultation with local public officials, we must make the safest decision for our fans, artists, and staff, and cancel tomorrow’s Lovers & Friends Festival.
This was an incredibly heartbreaking decision to make as we are aware that fans have traveled from all over the world to enjoy this incredible lineup of superstars and have been looking forward to this event for several months. We’ve worked hard to create an amazing event for you, and we are just as disappointed as you are.
Ticket holders who purchased their tickets directly through Front Gate Tickets will receive a refund within 30 days to the original form of payment.”
