The Back Cove Music and Arts Festival in Portland, Maine, will not be held in 2026, according to organizers.Back Cove organizers announced Friday morning that they have been working closely with the city to ensure the festival would return to Payson Park better than ever following the inaugural event in August 2025. But organizers decided to cancel the event in 2026 due to logistical reasons.”The process took time and effort, and because we are committed to putting on the best festival possible for the fans and the community as a whole, we’ve made the decision to forgo the 2026 calendar year for logistical reasons,” reads a statement shared on social media.The organizers said they plan on bringing the festival back in August 2027 and in the years that follow. Following the inaugural Back Cove Festival, co-promoter Tyler Grill estimated the two-day event roughly had an attendance of 12,000 each day. The estimated attendance was 500 below the festival’s maximum capacity.Investigative reporter Norah Hogan found that most of the online response to the inaugural festival had been positive, and that attendees said they had an easy time getting around Payson Park and had discovered bands they otherwise would not have known about. But Hogan also saw widespread complaints about drink prices, with most beers and simple cocktails priced at $17. Grill told Hogan that organizers would try to aim for lower drink prices in the future.On both days of the 2025 festival, Baxter Boulevard was closed to traffic between Vanna Avenue and Bates Street. Promoters set up seven off-site parking lots and teamed up with bus companies and Greater Portland Metro to provide shuttle service to Payson Park. Organizers encouraged Portland residents who were attending the festival to either walk, bike or take an Uber to the event.
The Back Cove Music and Arts Festival in Portland, Maine, will not be held in 2026, according to organizers.
Back Cove organizers announced Friday morning that they have been working closely with the city to ensure the festival would return to Payson Park better than ever following the inaugural event in August 2025. But organizers decided to cancel the event in 2026 due to logistical reasons.
“The process took time and effort, and because we are committed to putting on the best festival possible for the fans and the community as a whole, we’ve made the decision to forgo the 2026 calendar year for logistical reasons,” reads a statement shared on social media.
The organizers said they plan on bringing the festival back in August 2027 and in the years that follow.
Following the inaugural Back Cove Festival, co-promoter Tyler Grill estimated the two-day event roughly had an attendance of 12,000 each day. The estimated attendance was 500 below the festival’s maximum capacity.
Investigative reporter Norah Hogan found that most of the online response to the inaugural festival had been positive, and that attendees said they had an easy time getting around Payson Park and had discovered bands they otherwise would not have known about. But Hogan also saw widespread complaints about drink prices, with most beers and simple cocktails priced at $17. Grill told Hogan that organizers would try to aim for lower drink prices in the future.
On both days of the 2025 festival, Baxter Boulevard was closed to traffic between Vanna Avenue and Bates Street. Promoters set up seven off-site parking lots and teamed up with bus companies and Greater Portland Metro to provide shuttle service to Payson Park. Organizers encouraged Portland residents who were attending the festival to either walk, bike or take an Uber to the event.
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