This year’s Áak’w Rock, promoted as the largest Indigenous music festival in the United States, has been canceled due to “temporary staffing constraints,” festival officials announced Wednesday.
“We are putting Áak’w Rock 2025 on hold,” a notice at the festival’s website states. “The planning team at the Juneau Arts & Humanities Council is committed to supporting this amazing festival in partnership with The Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, and uplifting Indigenous voices and artistry through music and performance. Our two organizations have already agreed to look forward to the future, and refocus our efforts to the 2027 date to build the best possible festival.”
The biennial festival in Juneau debuted with a virtual event in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first in-person festival in September of 2023 featured more than 70 Indigenous performers ranging from local to international artists, with an estimated 2,000 guests attending concerts and other activities during the three-day event, according to JAHC.
The festival is meant to alternate years with Celebration, a multi-day Alaska Natives gathering during the first part of June that originated in 1982 and typically attracts thousands of participants. However, Áak’w Rock organizers and performers have staged interim performances, including a “Side Stage” during last year’s Celebration.
Staffing issues that resulted in this year’s Áak’w Rock cancelation included the departure late last year of JAHC’s education director, who was a key organizer of the festival, according to a statement issued by the organization Friday.
“Filling this role will likely happen mid-summer 2025 at the earliest,” the statement noted. “This left us with an alarmingly tight workflow regarding Áak’w Rock in terms of project timelines and staff bandwidth.”
In a subsequent discussion involving a JAHC director, Tlingit and Haida President Chalyee Éesh Richard Peterson agreed the tribe would take over primary responsibility for management of Áak’w Rock in future years.
“While the 2023 festival was a resounding success, showcasing numerous Indigenous performers from across the globe, we understand the time and resources needed to achieve long-term sustainability is critical,” Peterson said in a prepared statement. “In the interim, we are exploring ways to keep the spirit of Áak’w Rock alive, including potential smaller events such as ‘Side Stage’ performances and other gatherings that celebrate Indigenous music and culture. However, these efforts will depend on securing funding and key staff to support them. We appreciate the community’s continued enthusiasm and support as we plan for the festival’s return in 2027.”
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
