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For the second year in a row, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has been canceled. The popular event, which was set for October 2021, will no longer be happening after an "exponential growth" of new COVID-19 cases around Louisiana and the rest of the country.
A spokesman for the Jazz Fest released a statement on Sunday (August 8) announcing their decision, per Fox 8 Live.
"We now look forward to next spring, when we will present the Festival during its traditional timeframe," the statement read. "Next year's dates are April 29 – May 8, 2022."
Anyone with tickets should receive updates soon about refunds or ticket rollovers. This also applies to people who originally purchased their tickets for the 2020 fest as well as the October 13, 2021 concert.
While the cancelation is not completely unexpected, participants said, it is still disappointing.
"It wasn't really out of left field for me but the biggest thing is it's another year we won't be doing what's normal to us," said John Perkins of the Kinfolk Brass Band, which was set to perform at the 2020 festival. "It's kind of hard on us especially just from the love standpoint we love to play music."
The new April dates means it will be another several months before they can perform for the New Orleans crowd, a gig he misses playing.
"Just seeing the faces of all the masses when they're happy from the feeling that the music gives them," said Perkins.
Cowboy Mouth lead singer and drummer Fred LeBlanc, another performer, is looking ahead to the future after the getting the news, according to 4WWL.
"I read [the announcement] and I just went, 'Well, okay, 2022 here we come," he said.
While the cancelation is a setback, Perkins said that "we're going to continue to move forward and do everything we can to drive this community."