We've all seen a big-name act or two get pulled from a lineup in the days leading up to a music festival, but this might be the first time the entire roster of headliners has been canceled.
Citing "unforeseen circumstances based on the present economic climate," the organizers of northern Minnesota's biggest rock festival, Moondance Jam in Walker, announced to ticket holders on Monday that all the national acts have been canceled on the schedule for their 33rd annual run, July 18-20.
The fest is scheduled to go on with just local acts performing — and for now without refunds being offered.
Some of the names that have been axed from the schedule for Moondance 2024 include Creed, Switchfoot and whatever is left of the classic rock bands Foghat, Kansas, Blue Öyster Cult and the Sweet. Three-day general-admission tickets were priced at $200 — and actually are still selling at that price, according to the festival's website.
Now being billed as Camp Moondance instead of Moondance Jam, the backup roster features Minnesota rock vet Johnny O'Neill, Mason Dixon Line (paying tribute to CCR) and cover bands such as Mallrats, A Hard Day's Night, Mad Alice and more.
A festival representative answering the event's general telephone line on Monday afternoon declined to answer ticket holders' questions about refunds. The festival's owner, Kathy Bieloh, later responded to questions from the Star Tribune but still left uncertainty over folks getting their money back.
"We are working through ticket refund details; there are a lot of moving pieces that we are working through at this time," Bieloh said via email. "My hands are tied about saying most anything at this time."
She admitted poor ticket sales were the culprit for the lineup cancellation.
Under its post announcing the lineup "changes" on Facebook, the Moondance team laid out a few alternative ticket options for current ticketholders besides refunds. Those include getting four free tickets for every ticket bought to this year's festival or hanging onto this year's tickets until next year.
"We understand the disappointment this news may bring to our dedicated supporters, and we share in those sentiments," the post reads. "Our commitment to delivering an exceptional experience remains steadfast."
The comments section under Moondance's post was turned off so ticket holders could not sound off about the news. Fans made their disappointment known in other posts, though.
"Way to screw people over," one fan, Brian Casey, wrote under a post by country music station 98.1 Country, which called Moondance's announcement "shocking."
"All we get are just a bunch of bar bands," Haylee Kosobucki lamented under a post by Creed, which is adding a date in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on July 20 in lieu of the Moondance gig. Creed is also scheduled to perform nearer to the Twin Cities at Treasure Island Casino Amphitheater on Aug. 17.
