‘Re-Fyre Festival’: LA Jazz Festival called off just days before scheduled kickoff

“People are joking that this is L.A. Fyre Festival,” saxophonist Leah Concialdi said of the event, which was supposed to have big acts like John Legend and Janelle Monáe.

The inaugural LA Jazz Festival — which promised music stars such as John Legend and Janelle Monáe performing across Los Angeles — was abruptly called off last week, leaving scores of artists and vendors seemingly out of luck and unable to recover upfront costs they had to invest.

The festival’s website simply said Monday, “updated info coming soon,” with no other details about the event, which was to have started Friday and run through Aug. 23.

Organizer Martin Ludlow, with Mayor Karen Bass at his side, announced details and sites of the massive event in June.

“Due to significant, unanticipated last-minute public safety and municipal costs associated with the final permitting of the On The Beach Festival, we have reached the decision to unfortunately postpone this year’s inaugural LA Jazz Festival,” Ludlow said in a statement Friday to City News Service.

“Although this decision was an extremely difficult one to reach, our commitment to the audiences and artists participating in the festival is to have a first-class experience worthy of the great legacy of Jazz and our great city,” he said.