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![\"Scott](\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/author-logo-lg-88x88.png\"){kind=logo}
<\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n By Scott Roeben<\/a>, on November 30 2024 <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
Finally, some wonderful news to report! The Sick New World \u201cmusic\u201d festival scheduled for April 12, 2025 at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds has been canceled.<\/p>\n
The reason? \u201cUnforeseen circumstances,\u201d which is industry speak for \u201cDraaaama!\u201d<\/p>\n
The 2024 installment of the Sick New World rock and metal festival was very successful, if by \u201cvery successful\u201d one means \u201cinflicting permanent cochlear damage on a large number of victims simultaneously.\u201d<\/p>\n The organizers of Sick New World posted the cancellation notice on the event\u2019s social media pages.<\/p>\n On the bright side, sad trombone rentals are at an all-time high. https:\/\/t.co\/cQyUKqn1Ko<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) November 29, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n We\u2019ll transcribe the message in case you deleted Twitter and have moved to Bluesky, whatever that might actually be.<\/p>\n Sick New World said, \u201cIt is with great disappointment that we announce that Sick New World will no longer take place in Las Vegas on April 12, 2025. Despite our best efforts, we\u2019ve encountered unforeseen circumstances that we are unable to overcome for next year\u2019s show. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the all the dedicated SNW fans who had made plans to join us for another cultural celebration of hard rock, goth, alternative and heavy music. Please stay tuned for further and future information regarding Sick New World. Tickets purchased directly from Front Gate Tickets will be automatically refunded to the original method of payment in as little as 30 days.\u201d<\/p>\n The Sick New World 2025 line-up was ambitious. The bands included Metallica, Linkin Park, Queens of the Stone Age, Evanescence and a number of other acts we would not see even if the bands shot chicken parm into the crowd from chicken parm cannons throughout their performances.<\/p>\n As is our way, we\u2019re here to recklessly speculate about why the festival was canceled so abruptly.<\/p>\n Why was the Sick New World 2025 music festival canceled?<\/p>\n First guess: Phil Ruffin, owner of Circus Circus and adjacent Las Vegas Festival Grounds, has been shopping Circus Circus, which makes us think he\u2019s reluctant to make firm commitments into 2025 in case a buyer is circling and such fixed arrangements could complicate or delay a potential sale.<\/p>\n Second guess: Ruffin is a tough and demanding negotiator. Did unreasonable demands make Sick New World queasy? Remember, when the A\u2019s were considering putting a ballpark on the festival grounds site, Ruffin reportedly wanted concession sales and parking fees.<\/p>\n Rumor is Ruffin may have also asked for parking revenue. Another deal breaker. https:\/\/t.co\/E4AiFv2R4M<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) April 30, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Third, and the most reality-based: Sick New World didn\u2019t have its shit together.\u00a0That can mean a lot of things in the festival world. Most often, it means ticket sales weren\u2019t meeting expectations. Despite the popularity of the bands in the line-up, general admission tickets were set at $472, with VIP tickets in the $1,800 range.<\/p>\n Also, the line-up was a smidge too ambitious. Some of the headliners involved cost a fortune (Metallica and Linkin Park were each reportedly getting $5 million each, and that\u2019s just two of 50 acts), and if ticket sales were lower than expected (despite the festival still being four months away), the numbers simply may not have penciled out. Basically, the event would need to sell out completely, and early results didn\u2019t point in that direction.<\/p>\n The promoter, Live Nation, got cold feet (consulted with the accounting department) and pulled the plug.<\/p>\n Live Nation canceled a Latin music festival in L.A., Besame Mucho, just a few days ago. The reason sounds familiar: \u201cCircumstances beyond their control.\u201d<\/p>\n The music festival realm has become increasingly unpredictable and volatile.<\/p>\n The line-up determines ticket sales and revenue and clinching big names costs a lot. With shrinking margins, hosting music festivals has become a gamble.<\/p>\n Some have said 2024 is the year the music festival died.<\/p>\n Not-so-fun fact for music fans: More than 60 music festivals<\/a> have been canceled in 2024 in the U.K.<\/p>\n Vegas-adjacent: For the first time in more than a decade, the Burning Man festival failed to sell out in 2024.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s mutant offspring of the formerly-great Life is Beautiful festival in Las Vegas was underwhelming.<\/p>\n The recent Neon City Festival held in downtown Las Vegas during F1 reportedly lost $600,000 in its inaugural effort.<\/p>\n Ironically, live music is thriving. The aforementioned Live Nation reported record revenue<\/a> in 2023 ($23 billion), an increase of 36% over 2022. Those Ticketmaster fees really add up.<\/p>\n Festivals are a different beast, however.<\/p>\n Will other music festivals in Las Vegas be aborted? Have we ever mentioned we phrase things in the form of a question when we have no idea about something because we are not a fortune-teller?<\/p>\n Anyway, Sick New World 2025 is out. If you planned to attend, get your money back and spend it on something meaningful, like inventing a cannon to shoot nature\u2019s perfect food into the mouths of music fans and thank you for your service.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/sick_new_world_ears_plugged-845x563.jpg\"\/)
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