Rising cases of Covid-19 in Louisiana have led to the cancellation of the New Orleans Jazz Fest for the second year running, organizers announced Sunday.
Louisiana broke its own record for Covid-19 related hospitalizations on multiple days last week, with 2,421 individuals hospitalized with the virus on Friday. The same day it reported 6,116 new cases, according to the US Centers for Disease Control.
The annual jazz festival will not take place “as a result of the current exponential growth of new Covid cases in New Orleans and the region and the ongoing public health emergency,” the festival said in a statement on its website.
The festival, which normally takes place over two weekends in late April and early May, had been moved to October earlier this year.
Previously announced acts for this year’s Jazz Fest included the Rolling Stones, which was scheduled to play the 2019 festival and had to cancel due to an illness from Mick Jagger. Other acts that were booked for the 2021 Jazz Fest included Foo Fighters, Lizzo and Dead and Company.
“We now look forward to next spring, when we will present the Festival during its traditional timeframe. Next year’s dates are April 29 — May 8, 2022,” the festival posted on their website.
