Red Sky Sinks

The sun has set on Red Sky Music Festival, staged the last two years at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb., with the announcement Live Nation and Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Center have pulled the plug.

The joint decision to end the fest, which was plagued by unusually hot weather and changing tour schedules last summer, opens up the TD Ameritrade Park calendar for more dates and other opportunities, according to WOWT-TV.  The ballpark is also home to the NCAA College World Series.

 
Live Nation and MECA both reportedly said they had high hopes for the fest’s success and expected it to continue for many years as a sort of answer to Milwaukee’s Summerfest. Def Leppard, 311 and Brad Paisley were featured artists during the fest’s short run.
 
Red Sky experienced its share of problems. In 2011, the dates were abruptly changed, lineup announced piecemeal and one day snipped from the schedule. The following year, extreme July heat created a different kind of challenge.
 
And again, artists reportedly were announced before they were confirmed, other announcements were delayed and two days were cut from the original schedule.