Texas festival canceled with 2 weeks’ notice—people say they lost thousands

Attendees of a popular romance and fantasy book festival scheduled to take place in Texas next month have shared their upset after the event has been canceled just weeks before it was scheduled to take place.

Dreamers & Readers Festival was set to run from March 6 to March 8, 2026, at the Gaylord Texan Resort. Organizers announced the cancellation this week, saying they were unable to meet the venue’s financial requirements tied to hotel room bookings.

Reaction on social media was swift, with some users criticizing the way the cancellation was communicated. One post described it as “a horrific way to communicate this,” while another called it “wildly irresponsible and mishandled.” A third commenter called the situation “the book community’s Fyre Festival.”

What Organizers Said

In a statement posted to Instagram, the festival’s organizers said the decision was driven by contractual obligations with the venue. The full statement read:

“DREAMERS & READERS FESTIVAL NOTICE:

After extensive efforts to preserve the event,
Dreamers & Readers Festival has been canceled.
Our hotel contract required a minimum number of guest rooms to be booked in connection with the event. That requirement was not met, resulting in significant attrition fees in addition to the event expenses.

Under our agreement, the venue requires full payment of the outstanding balance, including those fees, before the event can take place. At this time, that requirement cannot be satisfied, despite our efforts to do so. Payments already made toward the event have been retained and applied to the venue contract.

We understand the disappointment and frustration this brings. Dreamers & Readers was created to celebrate fantasy books, authors, vendors, creators, and the community that surrounds them. We share in the heartbreak of this outcome. Additional details and FAQs will be provided to address common questions.

— Leslie Hernandez
Fantastique Collection”

Newsweek has contacted the festival via email for comment but did not receive a response at the time of reporting.

Attendees and Authors React

Elsa A., a Japan‑based content creator working on her debut novel, said she had planned to attend the festival as a birthday trip, flying from Tokyo to Dallas. She said she spent about $1,200 on event tickets and now holds more than $2,000 in airline credit.

“While I understand that unexpected issues can arise, the cancellation has been very hard to process, especially given the short notice and the lack of clarity around refunds,” Elsa told Newsweek. She later confirmed she has received an email from Eventbrite stating that her ticket purchase would be fully refunded within a week.

Author Melanie Mar said she paid $400 for a table, spending thousands more on books and lodging. She said she was frustrated by what she described as limited communication leading up to the cancellation. 

“I’m disappointed in their lack of transparency. They announced authors very late, and even deleted comments on their Facebook page when we asked about it. It was difficult to get ahold of people. They ensured another author they were doing great with sales,” Mar told Newsweek.

Organizers have said additional details and FAQs will be shared to address common questions. In the meantime, attendees and creators are continuing to seek clarity around refunds, reimbursements and future events associated with Fantastique Collection.