LONDON (CelebrityAccess) — After a decade-long run, Apple announced that 2016 was the final year for its Apple Music Festival.
Formerly known as the iTunes Music Festival, the event debuted in 2007 but was rebranded to the Apple Music Festival in 2015. The event, staged at London's Roundhouse, featured a lineup of internationally recognized touring artists with performances often streamed live on Apple's platforms. Artists performing at the festival over the years included Lady Gaga, Adele, Oasis, Coldplay, Pharrell Williams, Kendrick Lamar, Elton John and Chance the Rapper.
Originally, the 'festival' had featured a concert every night in September, but Apple in recent years had scaled back to just 10 concerts in September.
Apple did not offer a reason for the cancellation, but the decision coincides with a new focus for Apple on delivering original content via its media platform such as Tunes and Apple Music. As a part of this focus, Apple has committed $1 billion to produce and acquire new shows and music, Ars Technica reported.
Apple is also preparing for the launch of their latest iPhone iteration, with a launch event set for Sept. 12th at the Cupertino headquarters.
