Organizers of the Tahoe Live music festival have issued a public statement addressing Lil Wayne’s sudden no-show on Sunday, December 15, following a wave of criticism from frustrated festivalgoers. The rapper’s abrupt cancellation sparked widespread backlash, with many questioning whether he ever intended to perform at all.
In a statement, Tahoe Live organizers clarified their position, stating, “We are aware of the different theories circulating online and want to make it very clear that we didn’t know in advance and informed the attendees when we found out. We also tried everything we could to change the outcome.”
Originally scheduled to close the festival on Saturday, December 14, Lil Wayne’s performance was delayed by a powerful snowstorm that forced organizers to move his set to Sunday. Despite clear skies and fresh snow on the rescheduled date, the rapper canceled just hours before he was set to perform.
The last-minute cancellation was met with frustration, particularly from fans who had braved difficult weather conditions to attend the festival. The situation was further fueled by photos of Lil Wayne attending the Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York the previous night and reports of him being at an NFL game shortly before the festival performance. This led some to speculate that his absence may have been planned in advance.
In response to the growing backlash, Tahoe Live thanked the artists who did perform, including Diplo and RL Grime, and expressed gratitude to the 15,000 festivalgoers who made the journey despite the weather challenges. “We are extremely grateful to all the fans that braved the weather, came to dance with us, and brought in an amazing energy,” the statement read. “They are the reasons we put all these efforts into this event, and they are the foundation of Tahoe Live.”
The event, held at Palisades Tahoe, had been aiming to diversify its lineup by including Lil Wayne, marking the festival’s first-ever inclusion of a rap artist. Organizers expressed their disappointment, stating, “We put months of efforts and preparation into this event, and we were as disappointed as anyone else. It’s the unfortunate reality of what we do as event promoters—we don’t control the weather and the artist’s decisions.”
Lil Wayne has yet to publicly comment on the cancellation.
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