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Queen City music fans will have to wait a while to see Janet Jackson after the pop star announced on Thursday (March 20) that due to “personal matters” she will not be headlining the second night of this summer’s Cincinnati Music Festival.
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“To all my Cincinnati Music Festival fans…. I’m so sorry that I won’t be able to be with you all in July. Some personal matters have come up and I am unable to attend. I look forward to seeing you all soon!” Jackson, 58, said in a statement shared by promoters.
Jackson — who previously headlined the festival in 2022 — was slated to headline on July 26 at Paycor Stadium on a bill that also includes Lucky Daye, 112, The Bar-Kays and a tribute to one of the event’s most beloved perennial stars, late R&B legend Maze frontman Frankie Beverly featuring the TMF Band (formerly Maze) feat. Jubu, as well as special guests Ronald Isley, Joe, After 7, Dave Hollister and Raheem DeVaughn.
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“We just learned that Janet Jackson is unable to perform at the 2025 Cincinnati Music Festival presented by P&G due to personal matters,” the event’s promoters said in a statement. “Festival organizers are working quickly to fill her spot on the lineup.”
Night one of this year’s show (July 25) will be headlined by Earth, Wind & Fire and also feature Anthony Hamilton, PJ Morton, Jazmine Sullivan and a Zapp Band tribute to the King Records legacy featuring Dreion. The beloved summertime classic that draws fans from across the country first took place in 1959 in French Lick, IN with a lineup that included the Miles David Quintet, Duke Ellington’s Big Band, Count Basie and Sarah Vaughn.
It has changed names, and profiles, over the years, but has always remained one of the calendar highlights for both the city and music lovers.
After moving to Cincinnati in 1962, it began to shift from a jazz-focused gathering to one that also incorporated a wide range of blues, R&B and soul, featuring such 1970s headliners as Roberta Flack, Ray Charles, Ike & Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye. In the 1980s and 90s it welcomed everyone from Stevie Wonder and Luther Vandross, to New Edition, Natalie Cole and Patti LaBelle.
Though the 2000s have continued to focus on those genres with sets from D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, John Legend, Fantasia, Maxwell, Jennifer Hudson, Jill Scott and hometown hero Bootsy Collins, in recent years it has added a third night of programming at the adjacent Brady Music Center spotlighting hip-hop. This year’s opening night will feature sets from Scarface, Goodie Mob, the Sugarhill Gang and Young MC.
While Jackson will not be back this year, at press time the singer’s official site still listed a run of six weekend residency shows at the Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas between May 21-31.
The Sea.Hear.Now festival will be back in Asbury Park, N.J. this fall with a lineup including headliners Blink-182, Hozier, LCD Soundsystem and Lenny Kravitz. The Sept. 13-14 event will also feature sets from Alabama Shakes, ZZ Top, Remi Wolf, Royel Otis, De La Soul, UB40, Gigi Perez, Sublime, Public Enemy, TV on the Radio, Spoon, Phantogram, 4 Non Blondes, Hot Mulligan and Mannequin Pussy, among others.
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The seaside event will once host some of the world’s greatest surfers and emerging stars, who will ride the waves throughout the weekend in team contests held between the Surf and Sand stages. Among the scheduled participants are: Landon McNamara, Cam Richards, Balaram Stack, Sam Hammer, Rob Kelly, Cassidy McClain, Pat Schmidt, Mike Gleason and many more.
A pre-sale for the event will kick off on Friday (March 21) at 10 a.m. ET, with a public on-sale to follow if any tickets remain; click here to sign up for a pre-sale passcode.
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Among the other musical acts on the roster for this year are: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Inhaler, Mondo Cozmo, Bumpin Uglies, Not Yer Baby, Grace Bowers & the Hodge Podge, Landon McNamara, Neal Francis, Surfing for Daisy and The Tide Bends.
Last year’s fest got a major boost when Jersey legend Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band ripped off a three-hour-plus throwdown for a massive crowd that was full of hometown stories and a mix of beloved classics and deep-cut tracks. The epic show was later released on CD and for streaming via nugs.net.
Check out the 2025 Sea.Hear.Now announcement below.
Garbage, the iconic American alternative rockers who rose to fame in the ’90s, are in the midst of their first Latin American tour in a decade. The trek kicked off March 12 in Colombia, followed by stops in Chile and Argentina, before arriving in Brazil this Friday (March 21).
On April 6, after an 11-year absence from the country, Garbage will perform in Monterrey, Mexico, at the Tecate Pa’l Norte festival.
“It’s great to go back to Mexico, you know. And going to Pa’l Norte again is even better,” lead singer Shirley Manson tells Billboard Español about their participation on the festival’s second day, which will also feature stars like Olivia Rodrigo and Kings of Leon. “Each represents different generations, and their own music. We’re not the same side of the coin. Having many options at the same place is fantastic.”
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Since the band’s inception in the early ’90s, Garbage has been beloved among Latin American audiences. Tracks like “Stupid Girl,” “Only Happy When it Rains” and “I Think I’m Paranoid” have transcended the years, creating a strong bond with fans in the region.
When asked about the growing globalization of Latin music, Manson shares: “Latin music is developing and expanding so quickly. Now, listening to music in Spanish is something we are used to. That’s so great, it’s wonderful.”
The reunion with their fans has been overwhelmingly positive. At the Festival Rec, recently held in Concepción, southern Chile, the band shared the stage with acts like Los Tres, Suede and Julieta Venegas, along with 40 other talents that brought together an estimated 360,000 attendees, according to Chile’s Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage.
In Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Obras Stadium was packed with fans who had been waiting for the band since their last performance at the legendary Luna Park in 2014. Shirley Manson has a special connection with Argentina, particularly with its feminist movements; the singer even participated in a colloquium there in 2019.
For their performance at Parque Fundidora in Monterrey, where Tecate Pa’l Norte will take place from April 4–6, daily attendance is expected to reach at least 100,000 people. The eclectic lineup includes Green Day, Massive Attack, Justin Timberlake, Caifanes, Foster the People, Benson Boone, El Tri and Eden Muñoz, among others.
Garbage, comprised of Shirley Manson, Butch Vig, Duke Erikson and Steve Marker, has released several covers over the past two years, including David Bowie’s “Starman,” U2’s “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses,” Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “Cities in Dust” and Patti Smith’s “Because the Night.” Fans are eagerly awaiting new music from the band, as their eighth studio album, Let All That We Imagine Be the Light, is set to drop on May 30.
On Sunday (March 16) the Vive Latino festival closed its 25th anniversary edition with an explosion of sounds, ranging from rock to alternative dance and metal, passing through ’80s pop ballads, regional Mexican music and electronic cumbia — all in a grand eclectic and multigenerational party that brought together 80,000 people on its second day, according to promoter Ocesa.
Zoé, Rüfüs du Sol, Sepultura, Mon Laferte, Keane, Aterciopelados, Edén Muñoz, Astropical, Draco Rosa, Porter, La Lupita and Los K’comxtles, along with a segment titled “Música para mandar a volar” (Music to let go) featuring Belinda and María José singing in tribute to the late Dulce and Paquita la del Barrio, headlined the event’s second day at the GNP Seguros Stadium in Mexico City.
The Mexican band Zoé made a triumphant return to the festival after a five-year absence, marking its only show of the year. Meanwhile, Mon Laferte led the charge for women as one of the star performers of the marathon day, making thousands sing along to hits like “Mi Buen Amor” and “Tu Falta de Querer.” Keane delivered one of the standout and most-anticipated performances of the day, underscoring the British band’s long-standing connection with its Mexican fans.
The Colombian duo Aterciopelados invited Café Tacvba’s lead singer Rubén Albarrán for “Adiós Que Te Vaya Bien” and paid homage to late rock en español icon Gustavo Cerati by performing Soda Stereo’s classic “La Ciudad de la Furia,” which vocalist Andrea Echeverri had previously sung on the band’s MTV Unplugged in 1996.
In an unusual turn of events, Kany García fell victim to a power outage on the Telcel stage, which interrupted her debut at the famous Mexican festival. The Puerto Rican singer-songwriter made the best of the situation by performing without a microphone, accompanied by her guitar and the audience singing along to “Confieso.”
On a day where women took center stage, ASTROPICAL — the new supergroup created by Bomba Estéreo and Rawayana — also stood out with its performance. La Lupita, a pioneer of the musical festival, welcomed back singer Rosa Adame to perform the band’s most iconic songs and pay tribute to guitarist Lino Nava, who passed away in 2024.
For the second year in a row, and thanks to a partnership with Amazon Music, concerts could be streamed for free through the digital platform. The 25th edition of Vive Latino also set a record for the festival, bringing together 160,000 people in total according to Ocesa.
Below are some of our favorite acts from the second day of the Vive Latino festival, as it celebrated its first quarter-century. For our recap of Day 1, click here.
Zoé Comes Out From Hiatus to Shine
When Dermot Kennedy named his global music festival MISNEACH – meaning “courage” in Gaelic – he did so because he knew, like any first-time endeavor, it could fail. And yet, his mission of celebrating and amplifying Irish music and culture proved stronger than any fear of failure.
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“We’re so proud of our little country and how our artists continue to punch above their weight globally,” he says. “And so on St. Patrick’s Day I wanted to bring together some of Ireland’s best artists and bands to perform for massive crowds in Sydney and Boston, two cities with huge Irish communities.”
On March 16, fans in Sydney, Australia got to see Kennedy’s vision come to life as the first of the “twin festivals” took place. And on March 18 and 19, fans in Boston will get their turn. Kennedy will headline each lineup, alongside talent he curated in partnership with Ireland Music Week including Irish artists and acts such as The Frames, The Swell Season, Matt Corby and Meg Mac. (Kennedy shares that while he was “honored” that Hozier and Snow Patrol responded to his request “in a really positive way,” scheduling didn’t work out this year to book either act.)
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“Because we’re so proud of our rich musical history, we always talk about Irish artists like Sinéad O’Connor, Van Morrison, Thin Lizzy, and the impact they’ve had on music history,” says Kennedy. “And if we want that to continue for generations to come, we need moments like this where we come together and celebrate amazing Irish talent.”
Kennedy’s manager, TaP’s Ed Millett, says the idea for a festival like this started about 3-4 years ago and evolved organically over time. “Around the Sonder campaign [Kennedy’s 2022 second album], we were focused on activations that involved Dermot wanting to interact with fans and reflect back their stories and experiences,” recalls Millett. “We started discussing different ways we could tell his story and also shine a light on Ireland and all the amazing talent coming out of there. St. Patrick’s Day was the perfect opportunity to do this – but how?”Their first step was to discuss the idea with Kennedy’s agents in the U.S. and Australia, along with his promoter in the U.S. “We are always looking for ways for an artist to build out their ideas and identities and the more we talked, the more it turned out there had been an interest in doing this kind of thing for a while,” says Millett. He and Kennedy took two years to refine the concept, deciding along the way to own the festival themselves to ensure its identity would remain as authentic as possible.
“By retaining ownership and controlling the festival end-to-end, this has allowed us to market smartly and direct-to-fan,” says Millett. “Not just [with] tickets, but also issuing fan passes for on-site merchandise discounts, and connecting it with [Kennedy’s] new music coming out at the same time.”
Kennedy’s latest single, “Let Me In,” arrived just before his headlining gigs. He wrote the song in Nashville last summer and says it’s the first of much more new material to come. “2024 was a very productive year for me in terms of making music,” he says. “I’m just so happy with how everything’s feeling and with the sound and the sentiment of all that’s coming.”
Millett is excited about the future, too — and is especially hopeful that MISNEACH will become an “annual fixture” in cities worldwide with a large Irish diaspora. “But,” he says, “the focus right now is getting this year right. Dermot has big ambitions not just to support Irish and diaspora talent, but give back to Ireland and the local community. A festival should do all these things – and we are excited to learn and grow this for years to come.”
Vive Latino celebrates its 25th edition March 15 and 16, cementing its status as “the father of all festivals in Mexico” and one of the capital city’s favorites. For the second year in a row, and thanks to an agreement with Amazon Music, the shows will be streamed for free on the digital platform in a nonstop broadcast lasting over 10 hours, the company announced on Thursday (March 13).
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With an eclectic lineup and multiple activities, Mexico’s longest running festival returns to its original venue, the Estadio GNP Seguros (formerly Foro Sol), after hosting its annual edition in 2024 at the Curva 4 of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez — which annually hosts the Formula 1 and festivals such as Corona Capital and Arre — due to renovations.
Since its inception in 1998, the Festival Iberoamericano de Cultura Musical, better known as Vive Latino, has maintained a rebellious personality that breaks stigmas: It was the first to include pop, reggaeton, cumbia and regional Mexican artists in its lineup; it once expanded to a four-day event; it incorporated Anglo bands while remaining the ultimate celebration of Spanish-language rock; and it became the first Latin American festival to launch an edition in Spain.
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“El Vive,” as its fans lovingly call it, debuted on Nov. 28-29, 1998, at the Foro Sol, located in eastern Mexico City. Since then, it has been held annually, except in 1999, 2002, and 2021 — the last due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, the festival will introduce a new offering called “Música para mandar a volar” (Music to let go), described as “an unprecedented act of heartbreak.” It will feature prominent figures from Mexican rock such as Saúl Hernández (Caifanes) and Leonardo de Lozane (Fobia), alongside pop stars from yesterday and today including Belinda, Yuri, Daniela Romo and Napoleón.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Vive Latino 2025, including who’s performing, where to get tickets and how to watch the festival remotely.
When and Where
In its 25th anniversary, the Vive Latino festival will take place on Saturday (March 15) and Sunday (March 16) at the GNP Seguros Stadium in Mexico City.
Who’s Performing
This year’s eclectic lineup is headlined by major acts including Caifanes, Scorpions, Aterciopelados, Keane, Molotov, Mon Laferte, Edén Muñoz, Los Ángeles Azules, Zoé and Duncan Dhu, among others. Below is the full list of artists and bands announced, sorted alphabetically, by day.
Saturday, March 15:
Alto Grado
Arde Bogotá
Caifanes
Ckovi
Caloncho
Clubz
Daniel Me Estás Matando
Dillom
Drims
Duncan Dhu
El Gran Silencio
Él Mató a Un Policía Motorizado
Foster The People
Ginebras
Happy-Fi
Iseo & Dodosound
Jesse Baez
León Benavente
Little Jesus
Los Ángeles Azules
Lospetitfellas
Macario Martínez
Molotov
Meme Del Real
Nortec: Bostich + Fussible
Pressive
Royal Republic
The Guapos
Robot95
Scorpions
Usted Señálemelo
Sunday, March 16:
Astropical
Aterciopelados
Cuarteto De Nos
División Minúscula
Draco Rosa
Easykid
Edén Muñoz
Efecto Pasillo
El Haragán y Cia
El Kuelgue
Jay de la Cueva
Kany García
Los K’comxtles
Kikuo
Keane
La Delio Valdez
La Lupita
La Santísima Voladora
Los Concorde
Los Esquizitos
Los Planetas
Motel
Midnight Generation
Mon Laferte
Mikel Izal
Porter
Rüfüs Du Sol
Sepultura
Vilma Palma e Vampiros
Víctimas del Dr. Cerebro
Zoé
Where to Buy Tickets
Tickets for the Vive Latino 2025 are still available, starting at 2,950 Mexican pesos (around $150) per day. You can purchase them via Ticketmaster.
How to Watch Online
Can’t attend the Vive Latino festival in person? This year, audiences worldwide can stream the performances on the AmazonMusicEnVivo channel on Twitch and Prime Video exclusively — and without a subscription. The broadcast starts at 2 p.m. local time, 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT in the U.S.
The 2025 Baja Beach Fest lineup has been announced with J Balvin, Don Omar, and Maluma joining this year’s festival as headliners. They will be performing at the beachfront event on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, respectively. Returning to Rosarito Beach, Mexico from August 8 to 10, Natanael Cano and some of his artist friends are also scheduled for a special performance on Sunday.
The festival’s 2023 edition marked a pivotal moment, as the festival, initially dedicated to música urbana, embraced regional Mexican music, spotlighting Tijuana’s own Grupo Firme. Last year, Peso Pluma, Fuerza Regida, and Xavi made waves at the festival—the former two as headliners.
This year, a wave of Música Mexicana stars have already been confirmed including Tito Double P, Oscar Maydon, and for the first time at the fest, Los Tucanes de Tijuana.
Also making her Baja Beach debut this year is Anitta, who’s part of the lineup that includes El Alfa, Wisin, Arcangel, Young Miko, Myke Towers, Danny Ocean, Rels B, and Blessd. Newcomers Cris MJ, Yerimua, and De La Rose also form part of the festival that embodies the slogan “Menos hate, Más perreo” (less hate, more twerking).
Since its inception in 2018 by founders Aaron Ampudia and Chris Den Uijl, Baja Beach Fest 2025 continues to build on its legacy as a must-attend event, especially for Southern California residents, with Rosarito being a 45-minute drive south of San Diego, Calif.
For ticket sales and more information, visit the Baja Beach Fest website here, and check out this year’s full lineup below:
California’s largest rock festival has released its lineup, featuring some of the biggest names in metal, hardcore and punk. 2025’s Aftershock Festival at Discover Park in Sacramento will include 115 bands, headlined by four of the biggest artists in the genre — pop-punk legends Blink 182, hard rock pioneering band Deftones, nu-metal veterans Korn and British hardcore legends Bring Me The Horizon.
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“Aftershock is the biggest rock, punk, and metal festival on the West Coast, and this year, it lined up perfectly for California fans. We’ve got legendary reunions, rare performances, and more California bands on this lineup than any Aftershock before,” said Aftershock promoter Danny Wimmer, who has staged the festival for 13 years, in a statement. “Year after year, we’ve broken attendance records, and this one is set to be the biggest yet. Trust me, you don’t want to miss it. I hope to see you there.”
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Other big names appearing at this year’s festival include pop-punkers Good Charlotte and All Time Low performing on the opening Thursday for Aftershock, Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan’s band A Perfect Circle and east coast hardcore outfit Turnstile performing Friday. Saturday will feature performances from Bad Omens and Gojira, while Sunday boasts sets by hard rock legends Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson.
This year’s festival features more than a dozen reunion shows, including the first West Coast performance for recently reunited East Coast hardcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan, as well as a 40th anniversary celebration for gross-out rock legends GWAR.
Tickets are on sale now at Aftershock’s website for both general admission and VIP. This year, Aftershock is continuing to offer layaway ticket purchases with just $1 down, as well as discounted four-day and single day passes to first responders, active duty military and medical professionals and nurses. A full lineup for this year’s festival can be found below:
Aftershock
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After a massive blackout in Chile led to the cancellation of Tuesday’s show (Feb. 25), Morat and Sebastián Yatra will finally perform on Saturday night (March 1) at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival 2025, held at the Quinta Vergara amphitheater in the coastal city of Viña del Mar. Both acts will play approximately one-hour shows as part of the week-long festival which kicked off on Sunday, February 23.
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Headlining Colombian pop rock band Morat is slated to take the stage at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET, and Yatra is scheduled for around 11:15 p.m. ET, after the presentation of comedian Pedro Ruminot.
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Like all previous days, you can watch the performances in the U.S. exclusively on Billboard.com and BillboardEspanol.com.
With hits including “No Se Va,” “Besos en Guerra” and “Cuando Nadie Ve,” Morat debuted in 2016 with the album Solo El Amor y Sus Efectos Secundarios, and received a Latin Grammy nomination for best new artist the same year. Its fourth and latest LP, 2022’s Si Ayer Fuera Hoy, gave the band its first entry on the Billboard Latin Pop Albums chart, where it peaked at No. 18. On Tuesday, the band is making its debut at the Chilean festival.
Yatra, with almost a dozen No. 1s on the Billboard Latin Airplay chart — including “Robarte un Beso” with Carlos Vives, “Tacones Rojos” and “Un Año” with Reik, to name a few — had previously performed in Viña del Mar in 2019 with a full show, as well as the previous year during Vives’ concert, joining him on “Robarte un Beso.”
The 64th edition of the Viña del Mar Festival kicked off Sunday with a riveting set by Marc Anthony and since, artists like Myriam Hernández, Ha*Ash, Carlos Vives, Carín León, Incubus, Duki, Eladio Carrión and Kid Voodoo have performed at the Quinta Vergara. Morat and Yatra will finally have their turn tonight.
All nights are livestreamed in the United States on Billboard and Billboard Español. Performances can be viewed on the player in this story beginning at 7:15 p.m. ET.
California rock band Incubus will be the headlining act at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival 2025 on Thursday night (Feb. 27). They will perform at the Quinta Vergara amphitheater, the festival’s venue in the coastal city of Viña del Mar, Chile.
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Incubus is scheduled to take the stage at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by The Cult. The Bradford, England-based band, featuring Ian Astbury, Billy Duffy, John Tempesta, Charlie Jones and Mike Mangan, is scheduled to perform around 11:15 p.m. ET, after Chilean comedian Juan Pablo Lopez.
Both rock bands will perform for the first time at the Chilean festival, which can be seen in the U.S. exclusively on Billboard.com and BillboardEspanol.com.
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Formed in 1991 in Calabasas, California, Incubus is an alternative rock band that combines elements of heavy metal, hip-hop, funk, and grunge. They have managed to place five singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Drive” (No. 9), “Megalomaniac” (No. 55), and “Wish You Were Here” (No. 60), as well as 11 albums on the Billboard 200. Among these, Light Grenades reached No. 1 on the chart, while Morning View and A Crow Left of the Murder… both reached No. 2. Comprising Brandon Boyd (vocals), Mike Einziger (guitar, piano, backing vocals), José Pasillas (drums), Chris Kilmore (keyboards), and Nicole Row (bass), the group has sold more than 23 million records worldwide.
On the other hand, The Cult, which formed in 1983, has established itself over four decades as a prominent representative of gothic post-punk. Their hits “Fire Woman” and “Edie (Ciao Baby)” reached No. 46 and No. 93 on the Hot 100, respectively. In 2022, they released their 11th album, Under the Midnight Sun, marking their return after a prolonged period without recording in the studio.
Viña will continue on Friday (February 28) with urban night, featuring Duki as the headliner, Eladio Carrión, and Kid Voodoo. On Saturday (March 1), the festival concludes with the Colombian group Morat followed by Sebastián Yatra. Both were originally scheduled for Tuesday (February 25), when the show was canceled due to a massive blackout in Chile.
All nights will be livestreamed in the United States on Billboard and Billboard Español. Performances can be viewed on the player in this story beginning at 7:15 p.m. ET.