How has the Roots Picnic continued to thrive while Made in America has been canceled again?

For the second year in a row, one of Philadelphia’s two major hip-hop-focused festivals has been called off.

On Wednesday, Roc Nation, Jay-Z’s entertainment company, pulled the plug on Made In America, the annual Labor Day weekend fest. That follows last year’s cancellation in August after Lizzo, one of the headliners, was sued by many of her dancers over accusations of harassment.

Meanwhile, there’s another Philly music fest that appears to be doing just fine, thank you. At a time when many multiday gatherings are struggling — like Delaware’s Firefly Festival, which was canceled for the second straight year in February — the Roots Picnic continues to thrive.

On June 1 and 2, the 15th iteration curated by the Philly hip-hop crew will again be presented on the expanded campus of the Mann Center in Fairmount Park.

The lineup on multiple stages is full of legends and rising stars, including Lil Wayne and the Roots, Nas, Jill Scott, Babyface, Victoria Monét, and flute-playing rapper Andre 3000.

So why is Jay-Z’s festival faltering while Questlove and Black Thought’s flourishes?

In part, because the festival calendar has become oversaturated.

The concert industry has roared back from the pandemic. Grosses for the top 100 global tours raked in a record $9.17 billion in 2023, up a whopping 46%, according to Pollstar.

But music fans are being more selective when it comes to multiday events. The outlook remains healthy for megafests like California’s Coachella (though tickets for the Southern California fest went slower than usual this year), Tennessee’s Bonnaroo, and Chicago’s Lollapalooza, says Dave Brooks, director of live music and touring for Billboard.

And smaller fests like the Roots Picnic are also doing well. But Jay-Z’s fest is caught in the middle, Brooks says. “The midsize festivals like Made in America that happen the same weekend, the same place, every year are the most vulnerable. There’s no flexibility. Artists can make more money going on their own tours playing arenas.”

When it launched in 2012, Made in America was wide ranging musically, with Pearl Jam joining Jay-Z the first year, and many electronic music big names like Tiesto and Diplo, along with a side stage that over the years featured Philly bands on the rise such as Japanese Breakfast and Strand of Oaks.

But the festival’s focus narrowed to hip-hop and R&B, relying on hitmakers like Nicki Minaj and Travis Scott to draw young crowds but often failing to appeal to genre-fluid fans’ range of tastes.

While midsize fests like Made in America have struggled, similar gatherings, often focused around the vision of individual artists, are succeeding in connecting with fans.

“People are now really drawn to not just going to these festivals to see all these bands,” says Jeff Apruzzese , director of Drexel University’s music industry program, “but they want a festival that has some identity.”

Which the Roots Picnic has a surplus of. The fest is deeply connected to the place they’re from and where their festival is staged.

In 2022, when the Picnic first became a two-day blowout at the Mann, Black Thought described it to me as “the Philadelphia festival for Philadelphia by Philadelphia.” That same year, Roots manager Shawn Gee described the Picnic’s clearly defined mission as presenting “Black culture from a Black perspective” that reflects “the aesthetics and tastes of The Roots.”

The Roots Picnic has carved out its own identity — like Wilco’s Solid Sound in Northampton, Mass., or Dave Hause’s Sing Us Home, returning to Manayunk in Philadelphia on May 1-3.

“They have more of a community vibe,” says Brooks. “The Roots Picnic means something. I think Made in America lost some of that, since it first launched.”

Does that mean Jay-Z’s festival can’t get its mojo back?

A spokesperson for Roc Nation would not comment on Made in America’s future, but the Roc Nation statement that announced the cancellation struck a hopeful — if vague — tone in suggesting the festival will be back in Philly.

“Since its inception, this groundbreaking festival has celebrated music and community,” it read, adding that the leadership team is “reimagining a live music experience that affirms our love and dedication to the work we do.”

The statement added “we promise an exciting return to the festival” but didn’t say when that might be, or if MIA’s return would be in an altered form.

If it is going to return, it needs to be next year, Apruzzese says.

“From a consumer standpoint, I think one year is like an ‘Oh, that stinks,’” he said. “Two years it’s like ‘Oh, is this going to be the new norm?’ The subsequent year is a make or break.”

There is precedent for festivals that have stepped away and successfully rebooted. Brooks points to Made in America 2022 headliner Tyler, the Creator’s L.A.-based Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival, which took four years off before successfully returning last year.

“It might make the most sense for Made in America to do exactly what they’re doing financially,” says Brooks. “Go away for a year or two, let the demand build back up. Sometimes you have to kill it to allow it to live.”

Inquirer staff writer Erin McCarthy contributed to this article.