Minnesota Music Festival cancels headliners 3 weeks before event

I started going to music festivals when I was 15 and have been to dozens since then. I love the all day party vibe, the antics on the campsite and the great variety of music.

I wasn’t planning on going to Moondance Jam this year, but I’m really bummed for the people who did. I know how exciting it is to look forward to an event, so the news that was shared last week is really disappointing.

What is the Moondance Jam Festival?

For over thirty years, music lovers have enjoyed some of the biggest names in rock at the Moondance Festival in Walker, MN. Walker is located about an hour north of Brainerd or three hours north of the Twin Cities.

When the event started in 1992, organizers expected an audience of 5,000 people. Since then, the audience has grown to as many as 30,000.

Why did Moondance Jam cancel this year’s headliners?

Moondance Jam has canceled all national acts less than three weeks before this year’s event. For over 30 years, Moondance Jam has brought big-name bands like Journey, Kiss and Heart to packed houses every summer in Walker.

But this year, all national acts scheduled for Moondance 33, including Creed, Foghat, Kansas and Blue Öyster Cult, have been canceled due to “unforeseen circumstances based on the current economic climate.”

Event organizer Kathy Bieloh posted a message on Facebook explaining that the decision was made for financial reasons: “We simply did not meet the financial thresholds to produce a festival with national tours.

In Bieloh’s social media post, he offered his sincere apologies and explained what will happen at this year’s event: “After 32 years of hosting the country’s best music fans, it is not easy to disappoint my family with this decision.”

She explained that this year’s event (July 18-20) will feature some of the “best regional talent” and will have a variety of vendors (both food and non-food), as well as wine and beer tastings.

Anyone who has purchased a ticket and no longer wishes to attend will receive a full refund.