April 23, 2021
Sunset Concerts canceled in 2021
CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Sunset Concert Series, a Carbondale summer tradition dating back more than 40 years, is extending its hiatus through 2021.
The difficult joint decision to cancel the popular free concert series for the second consecutive year was made to help ensure the health and safety of the public in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and because Southern Illinois University Carbondale and the City of Carbondale are continuing to follow State of Illinois mitigation guidelines. Currently, regulations don’t allow such large concerts. Organizers note that planning and booking of a diverse group of entertainers begins in December for the following summer’s concerts so they ultimately had to make the call to cancel for this summer.
Plans underway for great music in 2022
Sponsors of the concerts are SIU’s Student Center and Student Programming Council, the Carbondale Park District and the City of Carbondale. The concerts typically happen each Thursday evening in June and July at locations on campus and in the city. The inaugural event dates to 1978.
Co-sponsors are already working on plans to resume the concerts in 2022 with a diverse and exciting lineup. Watch the Student Center webpage or Facebook page for information about next year’s Sunset Concerts and other events.