Rothbury Music Festival 2010 Is Canceled

There were many doubts whether Rothbury Music Festival was actually going to take place during 2010. Held in Rothbury, Michigan on a ranch, musicians such as Chromeo, Bob Dylan, Guster, and Cold War Kids played the festival in the past. As the only large music festival in the Midwest besides Pitchfork Music Festival and Lollapalooza, Rothbury was a chance to bring all the big names to play during the 4th of the July weekend.

However, after having problems with curfews and noise complaints past 2 AM, Rothbury Music Festival 2010 will not be happening. After many had begun to speculate its cancellation because of its lack of permit even a few weeks ago, the official website of the event has announced its unfortunate statement today.

The Detroit Free Press also reported the cancellation earlier today but the link was taken down an hour later. Glide Magazine reported its cancellation using the Detroit Free Press as a source. However, other than those two publications there was no confirmation of the festival’s unfortunate status.

Later today, the website announced the cancellation in the message below:

During the past three years, all of us involved with ROTHBURY have greatly appreciated the tremendous outpouring of support for the future of the festival.  For 2010, we have had to make the tough decision to postpone our efforts.  A contributing factor in our decision is that, due to various artists’ recording and touring schedules, we now believe that timing will not allow for us to assemble the cutting edge roster that everyone has come to expect from ROTHBURY.  The result for this year is that we are not able to move forward with the integrity and high standards that we demand from ourselves and for the festival.

Despite the 2010 postponement, we intend to move toward continuing ROTHBURY in 2011.  This event is something very special, and we are unwilling to potentially tarnish what ROTHBURY is, and can become, by working under conditions that will produce anything less than a magical experience.

ROTHBURY is more than a festival.  It is a mission intended to discover strength in community, and what it means to be a large-scale sustainable event in these times.  Our efforts are certainly not coming to an end.

It is important for us to thank the people of Michigan, Oceana County, The Village of Rothbury, Grant Township, and the Double JJ Resort.  Also, we thank our team members, volunteers, creative contributors, media partners, and sponsors.  We have made many friendships that will last a lifetime.

To all who attended the first two years of ROTHBURY we thank you for the soul you gave the event.  Those times entered rarified air because of your energy.

We hope you have a fantastic July 4^th this summer.

We’re not sure the event’s publicists are telling the entire truth considering the fact that the festival has had problems since its first event in 2008. Booking the artists on tour wasn’t so much of a problem as its community leaders’ ordinance proposal probably was.

Sorry, Michigan. It looks like you’ll just have to go to Pitchfork and/or Lollapalooza in Chicago. It’s not that far!

What do you think of Rothbury’s cancellation?