The Cannes Film Festival rarely passes without cacophony but this year’s edition may be more raucous and uneasy than any edition in recent memory. When the red carpet is rolled out from the Palais des Festivals on Tuesday, the 77th Cannes will unfurl against a backdrop of war, protest, potential strikes and quickening #MeToo upheaval … Read more
HOUSTON — Nine of the 10 wrongful death lawsuits filed after deadly crowd surge at the 2021 Astroworld festival have been settled, including one that was set to go to trial this week, an attorney said Wednesday. Jury selection had been set to begin Tuesday in the wrongful death lawsuit filed the family of Madison … Read more
NEW ORLEANS — An extra day and the lure of an appearance by the Rolling Stones pushed attendance at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival to a half a million people, organizers said Monday. That was the second highest attendance in the festival’s history — just behind the 600,000 attendees in 2001. In … Read more
NEW ORLEANS — Janet Jackson will make her fourth appearance at the 2024 Essence Festival of Culture this summer in New Orleans. Jackson was originally scheduled to headline the Smoothie King Center on July 23 as part of her Together Again Summer 2024 tour, but her plans have changed. The appearance was canceled and now … Read more
LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mary J. Blige is bringing her mission to empower women beyond her music to her hometown — with the help of the singer’s superstar friends. Taraji P. Henson, Tiffany Haddish and Jill Scott and other stars and experts will join Blige for her Strength of a Woman Summit … Read more
NEW YORK — PEN America has canceled its annual World Voices Festival, as the literary and free expression organization continues to face widespread unhappiness with its response to the Israel-Hamas war. Earlier this week, PEN called off its awards ceremony after nearly half of the finalists withdrew from contention. The festival, which brings in writers … Read more
MOSCOW — A Mexican film has won the top prize Friday at the Moscow International Film Festival, which took place as major Western studios boycott the Russian market and as Russia’s war in Ukraine grinds into its third year. “Shame,” a film by director Miguel Salgado and co-produced by Mexico and Qatar, was the most … Read more
HOUSTON — A judge has declined to dismiss hundreds of lawsuits filed against rap star Travis Scott over his role in the deadly 2021 Astroworld festival in which 10 people were killed in a crowd surge. State District Judge Kristen Hawkins issued a one-page order denying Scott’s request that he and his touring and production … Read more
INDIO, Calif. — Thousands of fans flocked to the Southern California desert town of Indio this year for the Coachella Valley Music Festival, now on its second of two weekends. Headline acts for the 2024 edition of the annual bash included Lana Del Rey; Tyler, The Creator; and Doja Cat. Famous faces spotted in the … Read more
The Sundance Film Festival may not always call Park City, Utah, home. The Sundance Institute has started to explore the possibility of other U.S. locations to host the independent film festival starting in 2027, the organization said Wednesday. The 2025 and 2026 festivals will still take place in Park City and Salt Lake City. But … Read more
