Just days after announcing a new round of lineup additions, Glastonbury Festival has canceled its 50th-anniversary event, citing concerns over the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. The festival, initially scheduled for June 24th-28th, boasted a lineup including Kendrick Lamar, Paul McCartney, Anderson .Paak, Snarky Puppy, and many more.
Event organizers Michael and Emily Eavis announced the decision in a statement posted to the festival’s Instagram account on Wednesday: “We are so sorry to announce this, but Glastonbury 2020 will have to be cancelled, and this will be an enforced fallow year for the Festival,” they wrote. “Clearly this was not a course of action we hoped to take for our 50th anniversary event, but following the new government measures announced this week—and in times of such unprecedented uncertainty—this is now our only viable option.
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The father and daughter duo went on to offer their sincere apologies to the 135,000 patrons who already placed deposits on tickets. The festival has given ticket-holders the option of rolling over their tickets to the 2021 festival. For those who do not wish to rollover tickets, refund options are available. Read the full statement below:
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Of course, the news of Glastonbury comes amid a wave of live events that have been canceled or postponed over the past two weeks, including Sweetwater 420 Festival, SXSW, Ultra Music Festival, and countless others. For more information regarding Glastonbury’s future plans and refund options, head to the festival’s website.