Rap star Afroman, known for his 2000s hit “Because I Got High“, was supposed to play Riot Fest 2026 this past weekend. However, his set was canceled due to “severe weather,” which was surprising to him since he said he once played a concert during Hurricane Katrina.
Consequence report that after Chicago was hit with some major storms, Riot Fest organizers were forced to make big changes to the lineup. Some acts had their sets moved—Tool, for example—while others had their sets shortened. Then some acts, unfortunately, had their sets canceled entirely. Afroman fell into the latter category.
Afroman did not get to play his scheduled set at Riot Fest 2026
In a video message shared on social media after the event, Afroman shared the news and explained that he feels he could have gone on. “I did a show in Hurricane Katrina one time back in my day! But you know, these young people,” he said. “They’re finicky and scary. A couple of lightning and thunder: ‘No, I’m sorry, everything’s canceled!’”
Afroman added, “I ain’t mad at them. They did what they felt they had to do. They let me keep all the money, so everything’s all right.”
Riot Fest was forced to cut some of its events short due to inclement weather
Riot Fest ran from Sept. 18-20, 2026. On Saturday (Sept. 19), organizers were forced to shut things down early due to the bad weather.
In a statement, the fest organizers explained that they had been working with city officials while keeping track of the weather. “In cooperation with our partners from the City of Chicago and out of abundance of caution for the safety of our fans, bands, and staff, Riot Fest will be ending early tonight due to inclement weather,” they stated. “For updated schedule and any further changes please check Riot Fest socials and riotfest.org. Please be safe and watch for more updates. Sunday’s schedule remains the same.”
Ultimately, they made the decision to open late on Sunday, due to further adverse conditions. “Due to the overnight rains and to remediate the moistness of the park grounds, we are anticipating gates opening at 2 pm,” organizers explained.
They later updated, “Thank you for your patience. Doors will open at 2 pm. Here is your updated Sunday schedule. We do not expect anymore delays or changes. And a huge thank you to all the staff and crew who busted their a**es to make Douglass Park safe and ready for day 3 of Riot Fest.”
Photo by Johnny Louis/Getty Images
The post 2000s Rap Star Doesn’t Understand Why His Riot Fest Set Was Canceled Over Weather Concerns: ‘I Did a Show in Hurricane Katrina’ appeared first on VICE.
