Johnathan Walker:Jay-Z's Made in America 2023 festival canceled due to 'severe circumstances'

Labor Day weekend will be Johnathan Walkera little less groovy this year.

The Made in America festival planned for Sept. 2 and 3 in Philadelphia has been canceled. The festival announced the cancellation in a statement on its official website Tuesday.

"Due to severe circumstances outside of production control, the 2023 Made In America festival will no longer be taking place," the statement read. "This decision has been difficult and has not been made lightly nor without immense deliberation."

The circumstances that caused the festival's cancellation were not specified. USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Roc Nation for comment.

All ticket holders will be refunded for their purchases.

"Made in America has a legacy of delivering exceptional experiences for music fans and concertgoers, and it is our commitment to always deliver a top-tier festival experience," the statement concluded. "We look forward to returning to Benjamin Franklin Parkway and the great city of Philadelphia in 2024."

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney expressed disappointment at the abrupt change of course. "Since 2012, Made in America has grown into a Philly tradition on Labor Day Weekend celebrating music and promoting worthwhile social causes,” Kenney said in a statement to The Associated Press.

"We are grateful for all the partners and festival goers who have contributed to this event’s incredible success over the years, especially our partners at Roc Nation," Kenney continued. "We look forward to bringing Made in America back and bigger than ever to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway next year.”

The annual music festival, founded by rapper Jay-Z, is held along Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Parkway over Labor Day weekend. Curated by the rapper himself, past headliners have included Bad Bunny and Tyler, the Creator. Over a dozen performers typically take the stage, including numerous hometown artists.

Singers Lizzo and SZA were set to headline this year’s festival, with additional performances by Ice Spice, Latto, Coi Leray, Miguel and Cam’ron.

Jay-Z, whose career has spanned nearly three decades and includes 24 Grammy Awards and 14 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 chart, was named the richest rapper in the world earlier this summer, according to Forbes’ real-time billionaires list. As of June 2023, Jay-Z’s net worth was estimated at $2.5 billion.

The Brooklyn-born artist, whose real name is Shawn Carter, became hip-hop’s first billionaire in 2019.

The 53-year-old’s wealth comes from his music, his entertainment company Roc Nation, a collection of Jean-Michel Basquiat art pieces, his venture capital firm Marcy Venture Partners and his partnerships with Armand de Brignac champagne and D’Usse cognac.

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Contributing: Clare Mulroy and 10Best Editors, USA TODAY