A popular London summer music festival has been forced to swap one iconic Canadian rocker for another.
Rock the Park announced Wednesday night that Neil Young will no longer be performing at its four-night concert series in Harris Park next month. The "unfortunate news" came after festival organizers received word that Young has had to cancel his Love Earth Tour with Crazy Horse due to illness.
"The Love Earth Tour has been a great experience for us so far. Great audiences and music. We have had a blast," read a statement from Young's camp. "When a couple of us got sick after Detroit’s Pine Knob, we had to stop. We are still not fully recovered, so sadly our great tour will have a big unplanned break."
Young and his band had been scheduled to headline the festival's final night on July 13.
Despite the short notice, festival organizers were able to fill the spot left vacant by Young. Fellow Canadian rock legend Bryan Adams will now be playing Rock the Park on the fourth night. He will be joined by originally scheduled Alan Doyle of (Great Big Sea) and The Sheepdogs.
"We’re also thrilled to announce and want to thank Bryan Adams for stepping up and becoming our Saturday night headliner on such short notice," said Festival Owner Brad Jones. "From one Canadian rock legend to another, we will rock the park Saturday to close out the 20th anniversary. And just maybe, we can talk Bryan into adding a couple of Neil Young with Crazy Horse hits to his set.”
Adams, a Kingston-native, has sold more than 100 million records worldwide and is best known for hits including "Summer of '69", "Here I Am", and "Run to You".
“My team and I wish Neil Young the best with his health and look forward to rocking out with everyone on the 13th of July at Rock the Park's 20th Anniversary," said Adams.
Tickets purchased for Young's performance will still be valid for the July 13 show. All ticket holders have been notified via email about the change and have been given the option for a refund if they do not want to see the substitute show. Those who choose to keep the ticket do not have to do anything.
Rock the Park runs from July 10 to 13. It has drawn over 675,000 people to Harris Park over its 19 year run and raised over $4 million for local charities. The 2024 edition of the festival will see money go to Big Brothers Big Sisters London, the Children’s Health Foundation, Make A Wish Southwestern Ontario, and Anita May Music and Mental Health Fund.