Big music festival in St. Louis won't happen Memorial Day

ST. LOUIS -- Plans for a giant Memorial Day country music festival in downtown St. Louis are on hold, and a top aide to the mayor says a similar rock festival over Labor Day weekend is uncertain.

In April, aldermen voted to allow both festivals on the Gateway Mall for the next 10 years. The decision was criticized by some local musicians and promoters -- the annual Taste of St. Louis festival moved to the suburbs once the new agreement was reached.

Now, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported city officials have confirmed that Summer Rocks, billed as an annual country music concert series similar to Lollapalooza in Chicago, is off for this Memorial Day weekend. A rock-related event for Labor Day weekend is still possible, but uncertain.

Summer Rocks is owned by ICM Partners, the Los Angeles-based agency that represents many of music's biggest names. The agency declined to comment.

"There is not going to be a concert over Memorial Day weekend," Jeff Rainford, chief of staff to Mayor Francis Slay, said. "We're waiting to hear their intentions beyond that. It's a major undertaking to put together something like this."

As for the Labor Day festival, Rainford said, "They still might be able to pull that one off," Rainford said.

The agreement calls for Summer Rocks to inform the city of its intentions within six months of each festival date. If a festival is cancelled, it must pay the city a portion of the $50,000-per-festival reservation fee.

The agreement allows other events to use Gateway Mall if Summer Rocks cancels, though any organizers would have little time to plan and promote an event.

Last year, more than 1,000 people signed a petition urging the city to reject the festivals, saying organizers were pushing out popular events.

Proponents said the concerts would draw people from throughout the Midwest and South. Lollapalooza draws 200,000 to 300,000 people to Chicago every year.

After aldermen approved the reservation agreement, ICM said it would begin finding financial partners, seeking talent and organizing the festivals.

Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com