Minnesota Music Festival Cancels Headliners 3 Weeks Before Event

I started attending music festivals when I was 15, and since then, I've been to dozens of them. I love the all-day party vibe, the shenanigans in the campground, and the wide variety of music.

I wasn't planning to go to Moondance Jam this year, but I'm really bummed for the people who were. I know how exciting it is to look forward to an event, so the news shared last week is a real letdown.

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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 about an hour north of Brainerd or three hours north of the Twin Cities.

When the event launched in 1992 organizers expected a crowd of 5,000 people. Since then crowds have grown to as large as 30,000.

Why Did Moondance Jam Cancel This Year's Headliners?

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

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

The event's organizer, Kathy Bieloh, posted a note on Facebook explaining that the decision was due to financial reasons: "We just did not meet the necessary financial thresholds to produce a festival with national touring attractions.

Bieloh's social media post included a heartfelt apology and an explanation on what's going to happen at this year's event: "After 32 years of hosting the best music fans in the country, it is not easy to have to disappoint my family with this decision."

She explained that this year's event (July 18-20) will feature some of the "best in regional talent" and several vendors (both food and non-food), wine and beer tasting.

A full refund is available to anyone who purchased tickets and no longer wants to attend.