festivals
14 Things That Changed (or Didn’t) at Farm Aid 2021
Here are 14 things that changed — or didn’t — at Farm Aid 2021. Neil Young bowed out Citing his concerns with “the COVID pandemic surging,” Neil Young announced Aug. 18 that he would not join his fellow Farm Aid board members — Nelson, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews and Margo Price — at this year’s show, after playing every Farm Aid since it launched in 1985. “I don’t want to let anybody down, but still can’t shake the feeling that it might not be safe for everyone,” Young said in a statement. “While I respect Willie, John and Dave’s decisions to stick with it and play, I am not of the same mind. It is a tough call.” He added: “We will be back. There is much work to do together.” Proof of vaccination or COVID tests were required Farm Aid in mid-August announced...
The Fugees Reunite With ‘Ready or Not’ for Global Citizen 2021: Watch
The performance that aired during the massive Global Citizen Live event on Saturday (Sept. 25) was filmed on Wednesday, when the group put on a surprise pop-up concert at Pier 17 in New York City on the heels of announcing their tour. Global Citizen featured countless artists performing across several continents in an effort to spark global change and to urge world leaders and corporations to defend the planet and defeat poverty. The Fugees’ upcoming tour will bring them to Chicago, Oakland, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami, Newark, Washington, D.C., Paris, London, Nigeria and Ghana this fall. The Score, the Fugees’ second and final studio album, reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart in 1996 and brought hits including “Killing Me Softly,” “Fu-Gee-La”...
Camila Cabello Welcomes Shawn Mendes to Global Citizen Stage With a Kiss: Watch
Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes shared the stage — and some PDA — at this year’s Global Citizen Festival. In front of a screaming New York City crowd on Saturday (Sept. 25), Cabello joked about “introducing this next person in a formal way” before bringing boyfriend Mendes out. “That’s kinda weird ’cause we kinda know each other pretty well, and I think you guys know we know each other pretty well,” she quipped. The couple, dressed in coordinating colors (royal purple, blue and orange on Cabello, and a rusty orange on Mendes) delivered their familiar duet “Señorita” effortlessly as part of the star-studded fest that kicked off on Saturday with performances across several continents. The New York part of the event took place ...
5 Best Moments From Day 1 of Governors Ball 2021
For the young artists who experienced career highs under lockdown, such as Tate McRae and 24kGoldn, performing at a festival full of fans was a new experience with their high-energy sets reflecting the thrill of being back onstage. Here’s a roundup of the five best moments from day one of Gov Ball 2021. Tate McRae’s full circle moment After writing her breakout single in her bedroom during the height of the pandemic, newcomer McRae reached the charts and performed on both late-night TV and the 2020 VMAs pre-show while much of the U.S. was still in lockdown. On Friday, she finally experienced the energy of a live audience at a festival with her set that started at 2:15 p.m. on Gov Ball’s main stage. &n...
How to Watch BTS’ Global Citizen Performance Online Free
JLo, Eilish, Mendes and Cabello will be among the performers hitting the stage live in New York’s Central Park (tickets to the show are still available on VividSeats.com). The Los Angeles show takes place at the Greek Theatre, and features performances by Stevie Wonder, Adam Lambert, Chloe x Halle, Demi Lovato, H.E.R. and Migos, among others (see tickets here). Performances will also take place from Paris (Elton John, Ed Sheeran), London (Duran Duran, Kylie Minogue), Lagos (Femi Kuti, Davido, Tiwa Savage), Rio de Janeiro (Alok, Criolo, Liniker), Sydney (Delta Goodrem) and Mumbai (featuring an appearance by Anil Kapoor). BTS will be appearing live from Seoul, though the BTS Global Citizen performance isn’t part of a public concert like the artists mentioned above. While fan...
Olivia Rodrigo Plays Her ‘First Show’ at 2021 iHeartRadio Music Festival: Watch
“This is a really special day for me because this is sort of like my first show,” she told the crowd from the fest’s daytime stage on Saturday (Sept. 18). “I’m just so grateful that you guys are here with me experiencing this. Thank you so much.” “Speaking of firsts, this is the first song I put out,” she said, sitting at the piano to begin “Drivers License.” As she played her hit, she encouraged the audience — where some fans were spotted in Olivia Rodrigo and Sour tees — to join in, though she didn’t have to. They were already singing along before she could say “let me hear ya.” Seemingly overcome with emotion over the experience, Rodrigo gushed, “”You guys are just like the best crowd e...
Guns N’ Roses & Dave Grohl Play ‘Paradise City’ Through Curfew Cutoff at BottleRock
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the festival, which takes place at the Napa Valley Expo, has a strict curfew as it’s located in a residential area. In fact, in previous years, Grohl’s own band had festival organizers pulling the plug when Foo Fighters broke the curfew, and the same thing happened to Neil Young. Billboard reached out to a representative for BottleRock for comment about Guns N’ Roses’ set this weekend. The three-day music, wine, craft brew and culinary festival was set for the Napa Valley Expo on Sept. 3-5. Watch the “Paradise City” performance in the clip below. The sound cuts off at about the 3:05 mark. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with ...
H.E.R. Reveals Lights On Festival 2021 Lineup Including Erykah Badu, Ari Lennox, Bryson Tiller & More
On Wednesday (Sept. 1), four-time Grammy-winner H.E.R. — in partnership with Live Nation Urban — announced the star-studded roster of performers set to hit the stage at the highly anticipated Lights On Festival, which will occur in Concord, Calif. on Sept. 18 and 19. H.E.R. will headline the two-day festival, while Erykah Badu, Bryson Tiller, Ari Lennox, Ty Dolla $ign, Keyshia Cole and many more stars will perform some of their fan-favorite hits. H.E.R.’s Lights On Festival, which first took place in 2019, marks the first female-owned and curated music festival in decades. In addition to exciting performances, Lights On Festival is expected to deliver fun-filled attractions, including a film screening tent, live art installations, an arcade, R&...
Lizzo, Run the Jewels, Jason Isbell & More React to Bonnaroo 2021 Being Canceled
Run the Jewels, Jason Isbell, Incubus and more also shared their disappointment on social media, with Isbell tweeting, “I’m sorry y’all had to make this choice but I believe it was the right one. I was really REALLY looking forward to it, but ya gotta be safe and smart. Love to everybody on the crew with a broken heart today.” Electronic pop duo Sylvan Esso didn’t let the news get them down, writing on their IG Stories: “Anybody gotta good outdoor venue in Tennessee for this sick ass band? @Bonnaroo got cancelled but we are still practicing anyway cuz music is joy.” Bonnaroo hasn’t hosted a festival since 2019, with the coronavirus pandemic forcing organizers to pull the plug in 2020 as well. See all the performer reactions below: You Deserve to Mak...
Rain Causes Bonnaroo Organizers To Reduce Camping Capacity
As music lovers gear up for Bonnaroo 2021 on Sept. 2-5 at Great Stage Park in Manchester, Tenn., the event’s organizers are reducing the festival’s camping capacity, in anticipation of “significant rain” from Hurricane Ida. Organizers posted an update on Bonnaroo’s official social media accounts Monday evening (Aug. 30), stating, “Due to the expectation of significant rain on The Farm from Hurricane Ida, and the knowledge that areas of our campgrounds will be rendered unusable, Mother Nature has forced us to reduce our camping capacity.” You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process...
AmericanaFest Requiring Proof of Vaccination or Negative COVID Test for Attendance
AmericanaFest has revealed updated health and safety guidelines for this year’s festival, which is slated for Sept. 22-25 at several venues in Nashville. According to the new protocols, all festival attendees are required to show proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for entry to any of the festival’s events, including concerts and panels. Proof of full vaccination must show a final dose at least 14 days prior to Sept. 22, while a negative COVID-19 test must be within 72 hours to enter any of the official AmericanaFest-produced events. Masks are encouraged for indoor events, regardless of vaccination status. “The safety of our community including attendees, artists, speakers, partners, volunteers and staff for AmericanaFest 2021 and the Americana Honors & Awards is our ...
Café Tacvba Closes Ruido Fest 2021: ‘We’re Celebrating That We Are Alive & In Good Health’
If it wasn’t for the Curative truck parked right in front of the festival’s entrance administering free COVID-19 tests, the healthcare workers inoculating festival-goers who hadn’t been fully vaccinated and some attendees wearing face masks, Ruido Fest 2021 seemed like any other year offering a space for Chicago’s Latin community to enjoy music by Latinos for Latinos. “It’s important to have festivals like Ruido because we could just be ourselves and that’s okay,” explained Colombian artist Lido Pimienta during a press conference after her 45-minute set. “There’s no pressure of now I have to do a dance song or one with a reggaeton beat because otherwise it’s not going to be popular or even become this entertaining monkey for...
