Jubilee, UNC’s annual spring music festival which was originally slated for April 14, has been canceled.
The reasoning behind the decision has not been released, though a statement posted on March 29 from the Carolina Union Activities Board said the cancellation was “out of CUAB’s control.”
“Jubilee is a beloved tradition, and it saddens us to announce that the concert component will be canceled,” the social media post said.
In the past, Jubilee has been a full-day event with food trucks and local vendors, along with a full lineup of music performances. For many students, the cancellation means losing the opportunity to see headliners — like last year's Young Nudy or 2022's Flo Milli — at a place as accessible as UNC’s campus. CUAB had not announced this year’s headliner before cancellation.
Tori Holder, associate director of communications and creative services at the Carolina Union, said in an email statement that there will be a replacement event called CUAB-A-PALOOZA, which will take place on April 14 at Hooker Fields from 4-8 p.m. The event will have carnival games, food and giveaways, but will not be a long-term replacement for Jubilee, Holder said.
Holder said the event was canceled due to unforeseen circumstances. CUAB executive board members declined The Daily Tar Heel's request for elaboration on the matter beyond the released statement.
Since the announcement of Jubilee’s cancellation, students and performers have expressed frustration at the lack of information about the decision.
“To not give details is the worst thing because you let people’s imaginations run wild,” Casey Kibe, who was supposed to perform at Jubilee last year with her band, csb, said.
To some, the festival acted as a celebration for graduating students and a stress reliever in the midst of preparing for finals. In addition to being high-energy and low-cost, it provided a stage for amateur performers to get in front of a big crowd.
