Chicago cancels one of the biggest concerts due to COVID-19

CHICAGO — Chicago’s largest music fest has been canceled for 2020 Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced that she was canceling Lollapalooza and other summer events through Labor Day because of concerns about the spread of coronavirus.

The 170-act music festival held in Grant Park typically draws 100,000-plus music fans on each of the events over four days. Lollapalooza is said to be the Chicago Park District’s highest-grossing special event

The cancellation of Lollapalooza follows on the heels of Gospel, Blues, and House music fests which were nixed in the spring. The fest’s promoter C3, had not booked any acts for the fest set for July 30 through Aug. 2 and tickets had not yet gone on sale, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Lightfoot also called off Taste of Chicago, which was set for July 8 through July 12 in Grant Park, marking the first time since 1983 that the gastronomic eat fest has been canceled by the late Mayor Harold Washington because the city didn’t have enough money to put it on. The Chicago Air and Water Show featuring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and Thunderbirds that was to have taken place Aug. 15 through Aug. 16 on North Avenue Beach.

The Chicago Jazz Festival scheduled for Aug. 28 through Sept. 2 at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park is also a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our primary goal, even before we knew as an organization what was going to happen, is, of course, the safety of everyone — the safety of our city, our musicians, our members,” said Heather Ireland Robinson, executive director of the Jazz Institute of Chicago, which programs the festival.