The Soulshine at Sea 3 music cruise, headlined by Michael Franti & Spearhead, has been officially canceled following an exodus of scheduled performers who withdrew in response to public allegations of abuse involving an artist on the lineup. The event, produced by Sixthman, was slated to sail from Miami to Cozumel, Mexico, from November 4-8, 2025.
The cancellation was announced on the event’s official website. “In light of recent events, the Soulshine at Sea with Michael Franti event scheduled for November 4-8, 2025, is cancelled,” the statement from Sixthman read, as reported by Billboard. Organizers confirmed they are planning a new event for the same dates and that all booked guests would be offered a full refund or future credit with the company.
The decision came after several prominent artists, including Dispatch, Maggie Rose, Hirie, and Liz Vice, publicly announced their withdrawal from the festival. The artists cited solidarity with an accuser and concerns over the allegations. In a statement, Dispatch explained, “We have been made aware of deeply concerning public allegations involving another artist on the lineup and have chosen to withdraw from the event.” Similarly, Maggie Rose posted on Instagram, stating, “There were some allegations made by a peer of mine about another artist on the lineup and I want to stand in solidarity with her.”
The catalyst for these withdrawals appears to be a detailed Instagram post made on August 11 by musician Victoria Canal. Without naming her alleged abuser, Canal described an experience of being groomed and sexually abused eight years ago, when she was 19, by a “very powerful, decades older man” in the music industry who had invited her on her first professional tour. She wrote that she would not name the individual because she couldn’t “risk the financial loss or emotional terror a lawsuit would bring.”
Canal alleged that the man’s behavior progressed over a year, isolating her in an unfamiliar environment. “At the time, this person made me believe that if I ever told anyone what he was doing, my career would be over before it started,” she wrote in her post, which was shared on her 27th birthday.
Following the wave of artist cancellations and mounting social media attention, Michael Franti released a statement addressing the situation. He admitted to having a consensual extramarital affair seven years ago with a younger artist who was touring with him. “I’m aware of the recent posts this artist made about our relationship, and while I support her need to express herself publicly, the relationship was completely consensual, based on mutual feelings and attraction,” Franti stated, according to Rolling Stone.
While vehemently disputing any non-consensual aspect of the relationship, Franti acknowledged a power dynamic. “I will however take full accountability for not better recognizing the power imbalance as she was younger than me, and I was the headliner on tour,” he continued. “For those reasons alone, I never should have allowed the relationship to become romantic.”
The sold-out cruise, which combined live music with wellness and cooking activities aboard the Norwegian Jewel, is now being retooled by Sixthman. The company has promised to provide further details on the new event that will take its place. A representative for Canal told Rolling Stone that it was “very liberating for Victoria to speak on her experience as she continues to heal.”
