An iconic New Orleans event will not return next year. BUKU announced that the festival is not set to take place in 2023, despite receiving much anticipation. Though organizers didn’t cite any specific reasons for the cancellation, like the ongoing COVID-19 and Monkeypox pandemics, a statement indicated that in order to continue, a hiatus was necessary.
“From day one, BUKU was created to be something different… a gritty yet colorful event celebrating the progressive subculture of New Orleans,” said BUKU organizers in a statement. “It became a homecoming for the most amazing bunch of beautiful weirdos ever assembled and in 10 years we accomplished exactly what we set out to do: we created a community… a community that truly matters. But times are changing… and the current model of BUKU needs to take a break. For a myriad of reasons, we’ve decided that the festival will not take place in March 2023. We don’t know exactly what the future will look like – and that’s okay as there is freedom in the unknown– but we know that we will gather again someday, in some form, bursting with creativity and purpose.”
Organizers also confirmed that “This isn’t ‘goodbye’ – this is ‘see y’all down the road,'” for the festival, and encouraged festival-goers to keep visiting New Orleans and creating art.
