Jay-Z On Made In America Festival Being Moved Next Year: “We Are Disappointed That The Mayor of Philadelphia Would Evict Us From the Heart of the City”

The Made In America Festival has always been held in Philadelphia on Benjamin Franklin Parkway since 2012, but it looks like that may all change next year, according to Philadelphia’s Mayor Jim Kinney.

Although Mayor Kinney says the festival will have to find a new home, Jay-Z’ the festival’s founder, says that the festival will likely return to Philly. According to BillyPenn.com, “the city’s official view on MIA, as relayed via email, is that when it first started in 2012, the fest provided a welcome boost on an otherwise slow weekend. But six years later, tourism has grown, so ‘the need for an event of this scale at this location may no longer be necessary.'”

RocNation states to PhillyMag.com that they learned about the pending event location change through BillyPenn, and not through an official form of communication through the offices of Philadelphia.

“I was literally on my way to the office, and I had to pull over and read the story,” Omar Al-Joulani, senior vice president of touring for Live Nation, told the publication. “I was shocked. They broke up with us in the press.”

According to festival producers, MIA has generated $31.9 million in local economic impact. They have also has donated $2.9 million to the United Way of Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey according to Philly.com.

“We are disappointed that the mayor of the city of Philadelphia would evict us from the heart of the city, through a media outlet, without a sit-down meeting, notice, dialogue, or proper communication,” says Jay-Z. “It signifies zero appreciation for what Made In America has built alongside the phenomenal citizens of this city. In fact, this administration immediately greeted us with a legal letter trying to stop the 2018 event.”