Originally scheduled for this weekend, the inaugural Harlem Festival of Culture has been cancelled due to the threat of inclement weather and extreme heat.
With a lineup that included A$AP Fern, Teyana Taylor, Wyclef and more, on Friday (7.28,) the festival organizers took to Instagram announcing the decision, citing President Joe Biden’s warning for Americans to “listen to public officials and stay indoors” due to ongoing heatwave and poor air quality.
“After strong consideration to this severe weather impacting New York City, it is with a heavy heart that we have made the tough decision to cancel this weekend’s Harlem Festival of Culture with public safety in mind,” wrote the festival wrote.
For refund information, the event planners directed ticket holders to the Harlem Festival of Culture website, adding “Our primary concern for the Festival was to put on an enjoyable and safe experience for all, and with the current forecast, it does not support a safe festival experience for attendees, workers or partners. While this untimely announcement changes our planned activities, this decision could potentially save lives.”
Had it gone off as planned, the Harlem Festival of Culture was set to feature performances from an array of hip-hop and R&B legends, including Fat Joe, Cam’ron, Remy Ma, Muni Long, Doug E. Fresh, Ma$e, Bell Biv DeVoe, and Ro James.
Taking inspiration from the Harlem Cultural Festival – the famed multi-week event that took place in the New York City neighborhood in 1969 – the Harlem Festival of Culture was originally announced in 2022. Though forgotten for years, the original 1960s uptown music event enjoyed revived interest following its 50th anniversary in 2019, and previously unseen footage anchored Questlove’s Oscar-winning documentary about it, Summer of Soul.
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Author: Al Denté
Photo: Kidfly182