The Symmetry Music and Arts Festival, scheduled for October 2nd and 3rd on grounds south of Libertyville in Jefferson County, was cancelled due to historic rainfall that left the site too muddy and unsafe to host the event, according to an announcement from the festival.
August and September set rainfall records throughout the state of Iowa, with more than 13 inches falling, leaving the festival grounds completely waterlogged heading into the final build days. The rain poured almost nonstop during the most crucial build days of the week leading up to the festival. Despite brief bouts of sunshine that allowed crews to get stages up and running, traversing the campgrounds remained difficult and potentially unsafe, particularly for vehicles. Any vehicle entering the mud immediately got stuck or slid unpredictably. To manage conditions during the build, the team was forced to use a few tractors to tow everything into place and move people around with just a couple of UTVs.
Despite crews working around the clock and receiving help from Fairfield and Libertyville locals who donated free heavy equipment, gravel, labor, and tools, the team ultimately ran out of time. All stages, primary vendors, and activations had been built and were ready — the final obstacle was safely getting attendees into the campgrounds. The team used heavy equipment to back-drag mud from key areas to reveal firmer soil beneath, which worked, but with only precious hours between the rain stopping and the scheduled door opening, they could not get all key areas cleared in time.
“Even though the sun is shining and the grounds are just starting to dry up, and our heroic team has put in everything they have, we simply were not able to catch up on the time lost to weather, and we are not able to deliver a festival that we’d be proud to host,” the Symmetry team wrote in their cancellation announcement. “Mud is gross, and the slippage it creates is dangerous for both vehicles and humans.” The team said they called in every extra favor they could and received monumental help from the local community. “Our entire staff worked tirelessly with minimal rest, far, far beyond what was asked, despite the conditions.”
Organizers also expressed deep regret for attendees who had already arrived on site before the cancellation was announced. “We are deeply sorry to everyone who arrived early and was placed on site. Seeing you trek back and forth with gear broke our hearts. The hayride plan simply couldn’t service everyone in need,” the team said in a follow-up statement on Monday, October 5th.
Despite the cancellation, organizers and the Fairfield community worked quickly to salvage something for the attendees who had made the trip. On Thursday night ahead of the originally scheduled festival, Krewella performed a surprise set at the former Cider House building, supported by Osyris, Dad Jokes b2b Kollapse, Two Dudes One USB, and Gigi.B. On Saturday night, with artist Onhell headlining a stacked lineup, organizers put together an indoor mini-festival at the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center in approximately five hours, packing the house with attendees. “These turnarounds gave us a big shot of optimism and momentum,” organizers said. The event was free for all Symmetry 2026 ticket holders — whether they had requested a refund or not — and $15 for all others. A number of unofficial parties also took place throughout Fairfield over the weekend.
Festival Director Neil Merchant said the cancellation was the hardest decision the team has ever made and that it was only made when no other options remained. He reflected on what the festival meant to him personally and what he had hoped it would become. “Symmetry Festival started as an idea from something my group camp squad, Facemelt Fam, have always wanted to do. We had all been attending festivals together for basically our entire adult lives, and it’s how I’ve made nearly every friend in my life,” Merchant wrote. “With all this experience as an attendee, we decided that for Symmetry, we really wanted to focus on creating community in a smaller setting. So art, workshops, and community spaces have been as big a part of the experience as the music. We intentionally created many areas away from the music that were quiet and cozy, where you could simply chat and get to know people you’d never met.”
Merchant said the festival’s goal was always about creating lasting human connection. “Our number one goal was to create dozens and hundreds of new lifelong friend groups just like the one that changed my life. No matter what happens, just know that you will always have your Symmetry Fam, and that our team is so endlessly proud to be able to have brought you all together in our little space.” He closed with a message of gratitude and hope. “Luck was not on our side this time, no matter how bad we wanted it, or how strong our vision was. But I am so grateful to all my friends and family who have supported this dream from the beginning, and who have put their hearts into building this with us. My only hope is that this dream can somehow survive this storm and return once again in the near future.”
The festival has no corporate or major financial backing and did not carry cancellation insurance — a choice Merchant noted does not make sense financially for smaller gatherings like Symmetry — meaning the cancellation represents a staggering financial loss for the organizers. The team said a cancellation of this magnitude likely means they cannot come back. Despite that, organizers said they will honor refund requests submitted within seven days through a link in their Instagram bio, while noting that those who choose not to request a refund will have their tickets rolled over to a future event. “We will be honoring requests for refunds from anybody who asks because it’s the right thing to do, despite it compounding the enormous loss we are already facing,” the team said. “Any penny saved here would offer us the chance, however small, of being able to do Symmetry again in the future.”
Organizers are also seeking donations of at least $200,000 to bring the festival back for a proper third year. Donations can be made at symmetryfestival.com.
