Boston Calling music festival won't be back in 2026
The Boston Calling music festival will not be held in 2026, organizers said Friday. When it returns to Allston in 2027, it will be held on a different weekend than in years past.
The event is typically held every year on Memorial Day weekend at the Harvard Athletic Complex. The 2025 lineup featured artists like Luke Combs, Fall Out Boy and the Dave Matthews Band.
The festival posted a statement on Friday morning.
"Thank you for making this year's Boston Calling such a wonderful experience your energy, passion and support mean the world to us.
As we look ahead, Boston Calling will take a short break in 2026 as we gear up for an exciting return on a new weekend: June 4-6, 2027!
Stay tuned for updates and thank you again for making the festival a cherished summer tradition."
Boston Calling fans react
There were many disappointed fans reacting to the news on social media.
"It's been a tradition with my girls. What will we do over Memorial Day weekend now?" one person wrote.
"Don't do this to us, don't skip a year," another posted. "Keep it on Memorial Day weekend, it's excellent to have the day after off to rest and relax on the holiday."
"I think changing from Memorial Day weekend can only help them. I think doing it the weekend after that makes it a lot easier for people to get to this show from all over the country," Boston WZLX radio host Chuck Nowlin said.
Some musicians who have played at the festival said they had hoped to return next year.
"There are a lot of not only just musicians and artists, but I think just a lot of engineers and lighting engineers. People that do kind of rely on a certain income," Ryan Garvey said.
In 2024, there were complaints that overcrowding at the festival created an "unsafe" situation for fans. Boston Calling made big changes for 2025, introducing a rotating stage that would give attendees more space.
It was noticeably less crowded at the festival this year during a rain-dampened weekend.
"I feel like festivals sometimes, it's like too many people, too rowdy," one concertgoer said. "And this is such a chill atmosphere."
