Over the years, the GoldenSky Country Music Festival became a top event in Sacramento, California. Throughout the festival’s history, organizers welcomed top names like Turnpike Troubadours, Elle King, Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan, and even Keith Urban. Drawing fans of country music from all over the country, the event became the largest country music festival in the area. While fans and Sacramento looked forward to another massive event, festival organizers announced the festival would not be taking place in 2025.
Sharing the heartbreaking news on Facebook, the organizers of the GoldenSky Country Music Festival wrote, “After three incredible years of country music under the Sacramento sky, we’ve made the decision to press pause on GoldenSky in 2025 as we set our sights on an even bigger and better return in 2026.”
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Taking time to discuss the decision, the organizer added, “This wasn’t an easy decision, but we’re committed to delivering the best possible festival experience for our GoldenSky community. While we’ll miss gathering with you this year, this isn’t goodbye—it’s just a short break before we come back in 2026 with a festival two years in the making!”
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Sacramento Losing Millions Over GoldenSky Country Music Festival Cancellation
Wanting to expand the growing festival, the post thanked fans for their ongoing support and love for the GoldenSky festival. The organizers promised to return in 2026 with a stellar lineup. As for Sacramento, the city looked to lose around $10 million due to the canceled festival.
For many business owners, they relied on the business the festival brought in. Ricky Gall, the manager of the Goldfield Trading Post, said, “GoldenSky afterparty is like Goldfield’s Super Bowl. Like, it’s one of our best nights.”
Not the only establishment suffering, Evan Iverson over at Stoney’s Rockin’ Rodeo insisted, “We almost double our numbers typically on that weekend. We’re just so conveniently located for them and we’re a country bar. Missing out on GoldenSky, it’s going to be a bummer. But, you know, we always we always bounce back.”
Just last year, the GoldenSky Country Music Festival welcomed over 75,000 fans as they extended the event to three days. The CEO of tourism in Sacramento, Mike Testa, admitted that the cancelation of the festival came due to the surge of country music festivals around the country. Wanting to set GoldenSky apart, the organizers were willing to take a year off to plan a festival that will be “bigger and better.”
(Photo by Jason Davis/Getty Images)