Arizona Jazz Fest has been canceled at the last minute. What we know

The event was scheduled for the weekend of Nov. 7-9 at Tumbleweed Park in Chandler.

Headliners included the beyond-iconic soul sensation Al Green, former Gap Band frontman Charlie Wilson, neo-soul legend Anthony Hamilton, “The Wiz” singer Stephanie Mills, Robin Thicke, Babyface, Dru Hill and an all-star tribute to the late Frankie Beverly of Maze, who died in 2024.

The Arizona Jazz Fest website has posted a message saying the event was canceled “due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control.”

The note goes on to say all refunds have been processed.

“We apologize & appreciate your understanding,” the note continues. “For updates, stay tuned to your Email or visit www.azjazzfest.com.”

There is no information on the cancelation on the festival’s Instagram account, which last posted on Oct. 16 sharing an a poster for the festival with a note that read, “The energy. The voices. The legends. 🎶 Three unforgettable days of soul, R&B, and jazz.”

Arizona Jazz Festival ticketholders express concerns about refunds

Ticketholders started sharing notes about the cancelation in the comments on that post on Oct. 31.

Milt Jones had tickets to the festival, but he had not received a refund as the cancelation note promised.

“They were selling tickets as late as last Thursday, and Friday they sent an email saying that the event was cancelled and refunds were processed,” Jones told The Arizona Republic.

“But the only refund I received was for the parking. I have called multiple times. The voicemail was full. This sounds very shady.”

There is no way to contact Arizona Jazz Fest from azjazzfest.com. The phone number listed in a recent Facebook post goes straight to voicemail, where the outgoing message makes no mention of the cancellation, and the mailbox is full.

The event was originally scheduled for March at the West Valley Event Complex in Glendale. It was postponed, then changed locations.

The similarly titled Arizona Jazz Festival, scheduled for Rawhide Event Center in Chandler in 2015, was also canceled a week out from the event, with fans complaining that they’d purchased airfare to fly in for the event.

Within three days of announcing that 2015 cancellation, the promoters’ Facebook page and Twitter feed had been deactivated. Calls to the number listed on their website during normal business hours went directly to voicemail.

Ed has covered pop music for The Republic since 2007, reviewing festivals and concerts, interviewing legends, covering the local scene and more. He did the same in Pittsburgh for more than a decade. Follow him on X and Instagram @edmasley and on Facebook as Ed Masley. Email him at [email protected].

‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’