Cornell cancels Homecoming concert amid sexual assault case fallout
Cornell's student-run concert organiser has cancelled its Homecoming show by indie-pop duo Between Friends.
The concert was scheduled for Oct. 17 at Barton Hall in Ithaca, New York, part of the university's Homecoming weekend for alumni and students. The Cornell Concert Commission announced the cancellation on Instagram on Friday, Oct. 9, according to Billboard.
The Commission said it is working to organise a replacement charity event with student bands and DJs to support sexual violence prevention efforts. It said all proceeds will go to RAINN, a US nonprofit organisation that works against sexual violence.
The cancellation comes amid fallout from a sexual assault case at the university, as reported by The Cornell Daily Sun. In September, a woman identified as Jane Doe filed a lawsuit naming Cornell University and seven members of its Chi Phi fraternity as defendants.
The lawsuit alleges the men gave her drugs and alcohol before repeatedly sexually assaulting and raping her at a fraternity party in October 2024. The allegations have not been decided in court.
Students rallied in support of Jane Doe on Oct. 6, an event captured in video reporting by Reuters. Days earlier, on Oct. 3, Cornell President Michael I. Kotlikoff pledged an independent review of how the university handled the case.
Cornell later said former US Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates would lead the review. The university has also said it will examine the role of fraternities and sororities on campus following criticism of its response, according to Reuters.
Cornell has scheduled its Homecoming 2026 weekend for Oct. 16-18. No new headliner has been announced for the charity event.
