More Signs of a Slowdown: Star-Studded Country Music Festival Kickoff Jam Abruptly Cancelled, Full Refunds Issued
Photo Credit: Jisoo Park
Organizers have cancelled the new country music festival Kickoff Jam. The festival was slated for August 30 through September 1âbut organizers feel thereâs a better date for a country music jamboree.The new music festival was to be held in Panama City Beach, Florida and featured a star-studded lineup that included Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, and Alabama. Alabama was to headline on August 30 to open the festival, with a special appearance by country legend Randy Travis. Other artists for the opening night included Jamey Johnson, Tyler Farr, Gavin Adcock, Pam Tillis and Catie Offerman.
The August 31 lineup was to be headlined by Carrie Underwood, with other performers including NEEDTOBREATHE, Lauren Alaina, Restless Road, Carter Faith, and Kayley Green. The final evening of September 1 was to be headlined by Garth Brooks, with additional performers The Oak Ridge Boys, Randy Houser, Rhett Akins, Mackenzie Carpenter, and Allie Colleen.
The Kickoff Jam music festival was under the same producer umbrella as the Gulf Coast Jam, with ticket prices ranging from $299 to $1,399 for a three-day pass. Now producers say they believe the Memorial Day weekend is the best date for a country music festival.
âKickoff Jam, the multi-artist country music festival originally scheduled for August 30 â September 1 at Frank Brown Park in Panama City Beach, Florida has been canceled,â organizers said in a statement on the official website.
âAfter the success of Gulf Coast Jam this past weekend in Panama City Beach, we realized the weekend after Memorial day is a much better time to host a festival,â producers continue. âSo we are going to cancel Kickoff Jam and provide refunds.âAre poor ticket sales for the new music festival to blame here? The average concert ticket price reached a new all-time high in Q1 2024âwhich may lead to consumer fatigue for multi-day events. This year is the first year that Coachella has had tickets available directly from Goldenvoice beyond the first day of sales.
Other signs of trouble include full-blown tour cancellations by the likes of Jennifer Lopez and The Black Keys, though itâs still too early to tell if a broader slowdown is afoot.
