MEMPHIS (CelebrityAccess) — Memphis in May International Festival announced that after seeing the lowest attendance in 30 years in 2023, the Beale Street Music Festival will go on hiatus for 2024.
According to Memphis in May International, as a result of the decline in attendance and other factors, the organization reported a record financial loss of $3.48 million from the festival in 2023.
Additionally, festival organizers faced challenges in producing the festival in the newly revamped Tom Lee Park, including uncertainty around an ongoing lawsuit filed against the festival by the Memphis River Parks Partnership. The suit alleges that the festival inflicted $1.4 million in damages to the park in 2023.
“Obviously, Memphis in May has built a very authentic brand beginning with the name and location of the music festival,” said James L. Holt, President & and CEO. “With a pending lawsuit and the event now unwelcomed in the new Tom Lee Park, future Beale Street Music Festivals will face fundamental challenges.”
“We have proudly presented the Beale Street Music Festival as a world-class entertainment event for nearly half a century. Our board’s decision is to not disappoint or underdeliver against the high standards and expectations of fans and supporters of this city’s largest annual event and signature music festival,” stated Al Gossett, 2024 Board Chair.
According to festival organizers, they will explore their options for the future of the event while it’s on pause for 2024. Additionally, the festival’s other events, including the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest and the Great American River Run, will proceed this year as planned.
The three-day Beale Street Music Festival has been held each year in the city’s Tom Lee Park at the foot of Beale Street in Memphis since 1977, annually attracting upwards of 100,000 visitors to the city. In 2023, the festival featured a lineup that included Greta Van Fleet, The Lumineers, Alison Krauss, Lucinda Williams, Robert Plant, and AJR, among others.
