The Rock & Rouge Women’s Music & Food Festival, which was postponed until September 2020, has officially been canceled entirely.

The announcement comes as no surprise, but is still a reminder that the City of New Orleans faces what may very well be a festival-free year. Rock & Rouge — which premiered in 2018 — released a statement explaining the decision to cancel the event outright was in response to New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s statement in which she “strongly advised against holding festivals for the remainder of 2020.”

Festival organizers said “public safety and health is our top priority. In order to protect our community and comply with our government and health officials, we see no other option than to cancel The Rock & Rouge Women’s Music & Food Festival & beyond for 2020. The Rock & Rouge Foundation remains driven to celebrate and empower women in our community. We anticipate the return of live music, food, and celebration of our culture in 2021, and we hope to see you there. Our sincerest gratitude extends to our community, partners, sponsors, donors, volunteers, and everyone in this difficult time!”

For more information, visit the official website for Rock & Rouge.