The 50th anniversary of Glastonbury Festival has suffered a cross-out, fully due to the coronavirus outbreak distracting original activities planned for 2020.
“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,” shared festival organizers.
Considering preparations that are put are in place before the festival kick-starts, organizers also disclosed that it won’t be a safety habit in keeping crew members around during this time even if the virus was to die out before initial date of the festival.
This year, top acts including; Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Paul McCartney, Dua Lipa, Diana Ross, Lana Del Rey, Dizzee Rascal, Pet Shop Boys and Thom Yorke were among the lineup of artists set to perform.
Tickets sold this year will be held usable for next year, but a refund is also available to those who want their £50 ticket deposit back.
The cancellation will be a huge blow to the festival, with some estimating losses could be as high as £100m, and will ruin its 50th anniversary year, The Guardian reports.
“The cancellation of this year’s Festival will no doubt come as a terrible blow to our incredible crew and volunteers who work so hard to make this event happen. There will also inevitably be severe financial implications as a result of this cancellation – not just for us, but also the Festival’s charity partners, suppliers, traders, local landowners and our community, ” the statement concluded.
