What LouFest Cancellation Means for St. Louis

Charles Reagan Hackleman / LouFest 2016

Today, it was announced that LouFest 2018 was canceled. The two-day festival was planned to take place Sept. 8 and 9, featuring headliners Robert Plant and the Sensational Shape Shifters and Modest Mouse.

In an announcement on LouFest.com, Mike Van Hee, Partner at Listen Live Entertainment (the company that produces LouFest), cited "several financial hurdles" and the "fickle St. Louis weather" as reasons to cancel.

This is the first year since the festival began in 2010 that LouFest will not happen. From 2010 to 2017, Van Hee estimates the event brought in $8 million of revenue to St. Louis each year.

This year, however, is different. According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, the city of St. Louis "spent a little more than $900 in preparation" for the fest. However, in the same story, it's noted that's just the beginning, reporting that "dozens of vendors, sponsors and production contractors like stagehand and lighting companies were left with thousands of dollars in lost investment."

Though the festival won't be happening this year, a number of the performances will still go on – just in a different way.

At the Sound of St. Louis Showcase "over 15 of the acts," as reported by Kevin C. Johnson of STLToday.com, will perform Sunday, Sept. 9, from 2-10 pm at the Grandel. The night will feature bands that would have represented their home city at LouFest. That event is free.

In addition to those local acts playing, other scheduled LouFest performers will still play this weekend. The Head & the Heart, the third-billed band in the festival's lineup, will play Delmar Hall on Sunday, while Jukebox the Ghost and Mt. Joy will play the venue the night before.

Furthermore, according to KSHE 95's Morning Rock Show's Twitter, there may be a chance for St. Louisans to still catch the Led Zeppelin fromtman. "We may have some hope after all for Robert Plant regarding this LouFest cancellation. Details tomorrow on the show!"

Even with the fest's cancellation, St. Louis' music scene appears to not be ready to admit defeat any time soon. While the show might not be still going on, all is certainly not lost.

Update: Plant has booked a show at the Pageant. His band will play the venue Sept. 9, the same night he was scheduled to play LouFest. The show starts at 8, doors open at 7. Tickets go on sale at 7:00 CST, Sept. 6. Prices range from $49.50-$100.