Vanderbilt Programming Board announced that the annual Rites of Spring concert would be canceled for the 2025 school year due to inclement weather in an email sent to attendees on April 3 at 2:30 p.m. CDT and an identical Instagram post. The email cited “significant rain, strong winds and potential flooding” as the cause for cancellation, adding that all attendees would receive a full refund for their tickets.
“The safety of our attendees, artists and volunteers is our highest priority, and after closely monitoring the forecast, we determined that proceeding with the event would not be feasible,” the email reads.
The cancellation comes one day after the announcement that Rites of Spring headliner NLE Choppa would no longer be performing due to “extreme dehydration and exhaustion,” per an April 2 email and identical Instagram post from VPB. The festival was intended to remain unchanged before the cancellation, with sets by indie folk band The 502s and alternative rock band Grouplove planned. VPB did not immediately respond to The Hustler’s request for comment.
Senior Ryan Allegretti expressed disappointment at the cancellation of Rites of Spring and other annual Vanderbilt music events, such as Lights on the Lawn, which was canceled in fall 2024 due to weather concerns, and Commodore Quake, which was canceled in 2023 due to budget cuts and construction and did not return for the 2024-25 academic year.
“No [Rites of Spring], no [Lights on the Lawn], no Commodore Quake — can Vanderbilt at least host something last minute for the seniors who missed out on everything this year?” Allegretti said.
Like Allegretti, senior Sophie Lopez said she was upset to learn Rites of Spring would be canceled for 2025, but understood VPB’s reasoning given the weather.
“I’m very sad that [Rites of Spring is] canceled, considering I’m a senior and would have loved to go to my last [Rites of Spring], but I completely understand if it puts the safety of the artists, attendees and board members in danger,” Lopez said.
