The Broccoli City Music Festival has been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns less than three weeks before thousands of people were set to attend.
Big-name acts including Lil Baby, Snoh Aalegra and Moneybagg Yo were set to perform at RFK Stadium in October, but organizers on Tuesday scrapped the event.
Broccoli City was planned at a mostly open-air venue in Maryland, which is considered safer. However, Broccoli City organizers said didn't want to put the D.C. area community at any risk.
“At the heart of Broccoli City is the belief that our people deserve the best of everything — including safe spaces to gather in celebration of our culture,” Broccoli City said in a social media post.
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Broccoli City says it wants to do its part in slowing the spread of the virus in communities of color.
Organizers say all tickets will be automatically refunded in the coming weeks.
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This is the second consecutive year that Broccoli City has canceled due to the pandemic.
COVID-19 cases have been steadily rising in the D.C. area since July.
The virus is spreading rapidly in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. The seven-day average number of new cases hasn't been so high since February — before vaccines were widely available.
Doctors and public health officials say getting a COVID-19 vaccine is the best way to protect yourself from the virus, and it's wise to wear a mask when indoors in public.
