Made In America Festival Canceled Due to ‘Severe Circumstances’

This year’s Made In America music festival has been canceled. On Tuesday (August 8), festival organizers issued a statement about the “difficult” decision, adding that "severe circumstances outside of production control” led to the cancellation.

The two day event on Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway was originally scheduled to have SZA and Lizzo as special headliners. The ladies were to join a full lineup during Labor Day weekend from September 2-3, including artists Miguel, Tems, Coi Leray, Latto, Lil Yachty, Doechii, Lola Brooke, Coco Jones and more. A “very special joint set” was also intended to reintroduce once-rivals Mase and Cam’Ron, both who now host sports talk show It Is What It Is.

MIA was supposed to mark SZA’s newest North American festival tour stop. The 33-year-old will renew The SOS Tour dates in North America on September 20, where she’ll perform at the Kaseya Center in Miami. Last December, SZA dropped her long-awaited sophomore album SOS, which features Travis Scott, Don Toliver, Phoebe Bridgers and a posthumous verse from Ol’ Dirty Bastard.

Lizzo, who completed The Special Tour last month, has been issued a lawsuit from three former backing dancers. The trio claims that the four-time Grammy-winner led a “hostile, abusive work environment,” alleging sexual harassment, assault, false imprisonment and more. Lizzo has denied the allegations, calling them “unbelievable” and “outrageous.” In response, the three women, composed of Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez, called Lizzo’s statement “dismissive.”

Since 2012, MIA has generated over $180 million in economic impact in Philadelphia as a two-day event. Performing last year at the festival were headliners Bad Bunny and Tyler, the Creator, along with Lil Uzi Vert, Jazmine Sullivan, Burna Boy, Snoh Aalega, Kodak Black, Pusha T, Lil Tjay, Toro y Moi, Larry June, Victoria Monét and more.