FESTIVAL CANNED
No show for queen of pop
THE promoters of Coachella have cancelled a Los Angeles festival to be headlined by Janet Jackson, an unusually visible sign of trouble in the live music industry.
Concert promoters Goldenvoice said they were calling off the FYF Festival, two days of music on July 21 and 22 led by Jackson and rockers Florence and the Machine.
“Our team of many women and men have worked tirelessly on this event for many years, but felt unable to present an experience on par with the expectations of our loyal fans and the Los Angeles music community this year,” Goldenvoice said.
The company added it would instead organise individual shows starring some of the FYF Festival acts.
Music industry site Billboard said FYF was struggling from poor ticket sales.
Festivals have grown rapidly in number and size over the past decade, but some industry observers fear saturation and trouble for some long-running events to generate a buzz year after year.
Goldenvoice puts on Coachella, which has developed a global name for its headline-grabbing performances – this year led by Beyonce – as well as celebrity appearances and fashion moments.
Coachella is held over two weekends in April in the California desert.
Last year, the FYF Fest took place over three days with performers including Bjork and Frank Ocean. —