It was meant to be the 20th anniversary of one of the area’s biggest annual concerts, but fans of the 97X Next Big Thing will have to wait to celebrate two decades of live alt-rock in Tampa Bay.Cox Media’s St. Petersburg-based WSUN-97.1 FM, better known as 97X, announced Tuesday in a video update that Next Big Thing is canceled for 2020.“Right now, we need to pause, together, for each other,” on-screen text reads in the video. “For the bigger picture. For our grandparents and families. We pause this year so that eventually we can dance together. Sing together. Be together.”The station’s other big annual concert, the 97X BBQ Music and Arts Festival, was canceled in April due to the coronavirus and replaced by a virtual fest called “ Next Big Stream ,” comprised of performances filmed over the last 20 years of Next Big Thing concerts in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater.No lineup had been announced for the 2020 Next Big Thing. Recent years’ headliners have included The Killers , Panic! At the Disco, Paramore, The 1975, Twenty One Pilots and Fall Out Boy.• • • HOW CORONAVIRUS IS SPREADING IN FLORIDA: Find the latest numbers for your county, city or zip code. LATEST ON CORONAVIRUS: Six things we’ve learned about the coronavirus since March. MASK UPDATE: Find out where you have to wear a mask in Tampa Bay GET THE DAYSTARTER MORNING UPDATE: Sign up to receive the most up-to-date information . THE CORONAVIRUS SCRAPBOOK: We collected your stories, pictures, songs, recipes, journals and more to show what life has been like during the pandemic. HAVE A TIP?: Send us confidential news tips We’re working hard to bring you the latest news on the coronavirus in Florida. This effort takes a lot of resources to gather and update. If you haven’t already subscribed, please consider buying a print or digital subscription.
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