Apple is shutting down its 10-year-old London music festival, Apple Music Festival (AAPL)

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For the past decade, Apple has thrown a series of free music concerts in London every year, featuring big-name acts ranging from Elton John to Lady Gaga.

But no more: Apple Music Festival is shutting down.

First launched in 2006, and then called iTunes Music Festival, the event has always been designed to promote Apple's music apps. Its format was a series of concerts over multiple nights — originally for a month, and later for 10 days.

Members of the public could apply for tickets for any specific night via Apple's apps — iTunes and later Apple Music, its music streaming platform.

It was normally held in September at the Roundhouse in Camden, North London — but Music Business Worldwide is reporting that Apple has decided to scrap the event this year. (The company did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.)

The events provided an opportunity for fans to see some significant acts free of charge — Ed Sheeran, Pharrell, deadmau5, Justin Timberlake, Kendrick Lamar, and the Arctic Monkeys, to name a few.

I hold fond memories of the event: I won tickets to two nights in 2009, to see Simian Mobile Disco and Friendly Fires. It was absolutely terrific, some of my first gigs away from home, and I wouldn't have been able to afford to pay for tickets. It's a shame to see that go.

As Music Business Worldwide notes, Apple hasn't entirely turned its back on live events. It has done one-off shows in London, SXSW festival, and elsewhere, including Skepta, Lana Del Rey, and DJ Khaled.

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