The highly anticipated 2025 edition of the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas has been canceled, organizers announced on Friday. The event, scheduled for April 12, 2025, faced mounting financial pressures from an oversized lineup and disappointing ticket sales.
Industry reports suggest the festival ran into trouble after booking an extensive roster of bands, including headliners Metallica and Linkin Park, who each commanded around $5 million in performance fees. The expanded lineup marked a shift from the festival's nu-metal roots toward a broader rock and metal focus.
Ticket sales proved particularly challenging, with only one-third of the 60,000 capacity venue sold since the lineup announcement in October. The steep ticket prices, starting at $400 for general admission and reaching up to $1,873 for VIP packages, likely contributed to the slow sales.
The booking issues emerged following management changes earlier this year. After festival overseer Jeffrey Shuman's departure from Live Nation Entertainment, C3 Presents took control of the booking process. Reports indicate the company attempted to reduce the lineup just before the announcement, with some artists allegedly unaware they had been removed from the bill.
Despite the cancellation, Live Nation Entertainment remains obligated to pay a percentage of the guaranteed fees to the booked artists. Ticket holders will receive automatic refunds within 30 days through Front Gate Tickets.
The festival's previous editions in 2023 and 2024 sold out quickly, featuring System of a Down as headliners. While the 2025 event has been canceled, System of a Down's drummer John Dolmayan suggested on social media that the festival will return in the future, stating "SNW will be back."
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- To Metallica in the discussion of headliners
- To System of a Down when mentioned as previous headliners
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