The 2025 Cincinnati River Roots Festival just lost some of its festivity.
The 5-day music, food, and riverboat celebration will feature a lot less music than planned, with the cancellation of three nights of headline concerts by national acts Weezer, Mt. Joy, Maren Morris, Janelle Monae and several other bands.
In a statement to WCPO, the festival said "like many festivals around the world, we’ve had to make difficult choices in a changing entertainment landscape. And while the festival continues, we’ve decided to cancel the paid stage concerts."
"Though the ticketed stage lineup will no longer move forward, America’s River Roots guests can enjoy free musical performances from multiple genres on stages on both sides of the river.
"This decision allows us to focus even more on what our community has told us they value most: free and affordable experiences for people of all ages. It also allows us to connect directly to the Ohio River as the kickoff to the America250 celebration — with more than 175 themed riverboat cruises, plus cultural exhibits, artisan markets, and multicultural food, beer and bourbon experiences."
Organizers have not commented so far on the exact reason the performances are being canceled. They also did not respond to questions I asked about the fact that tickets to each night's headline shows cost $70 or more.
Critics on Reddit had been posting that the festival was billed as "free," which left them surprised at the high cost of seeing the headline performers.
There are still several free musical performances that will take place during the festival.
These are some of the regional and local artists who will perform Thursday through Sunday:
- Cincinnati Jazz All Stars — Thursday, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Newport
- Over the Rhine — Thursday, 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Yeatman's Cove
- Band of Heathens — Friday, 9:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Newport
- Noah Wotherspoon — Saturday, 9:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Newport
- Zapp — Saturday, 9:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Yeatman's Cove
- Lauren Eylise — Sunday, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Yeatman's Cove
This story will be updated as we learn more.
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