Skull & Roses Cancels, States No Refunds

Skull & Roses, a Grateful Dead-centric Ventura, California, three-day festival abruptly canceled its sixth edition scheduled April 19-21 citing “financial devastation” from last year’s event. No refunds will be given, according to a post on the event website from Skull & Roses founder Chris Mitrovich.

The festival was to have featured headliner Dark Star Orchestra and other Dead-adjacent artists including Melvin Seals & JGB, Jerry’s Middle Finger, Garcia Grisman Revisited, Sage & Spirits, Stu Allen & Mars Hotel, Joe Marcinek’s Dead Funk Summit, and SiriusXM “Grateful Dead Hour” host David Gans.

“With deep sorrow I must inform you that Skull & Roses 6 has been canceled. In all transparency, the financial devastation of the 2023 show made it impossible to sustain the weight of the new production,” Mitrovich posted on social media accounts. “We have maintained hope and exhausted every imaginable possibility, right up to this very moment. It has now become clear, however, that we have reached the end of the line. All the cards are down and there’s nothing left to see.”

Mitrovich added that “While tickets and hotels were sold on a non-refundable basis, we sincerely wish that funds were available to refund all purchases. Unfortunately, this is simply not the case at this time.”

Last year’s Skull & Roses featured Phil Lesh & Friends, Leftover Salmon, Duane Betts, Dark Star Orchestra, Jason Crosby, Moonalice and others.