Glastonbury 2020 has officially been cancelled

Glastonbury Festival is the latest cultural event to be cancelled from the threat of coronavirus.

Glastonbury Festival

The legendary music festival was scheduled to celebrate its 50th anniversary this year but in light of the coronavirus pandemic, the festival has been cancelled. Scheduled to headline this year’s festival were Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift and Paul McCartney. In the past The killers, Muse and Jay Z have all headlined the festival. In an official statement, organizers Mike and Emily Eavis said, “We are so sorry to announce this, but Glastonbury 2020 will have to be cancelled. Clearly this was not a course of action we hoped to take for our 50th anniversary event, but in times of such unprecedented uncertainty – this is now our only viable option.”

Not only is this a massive blow for ticket holders but it also affects the thousands of workers employed by Glastonbury. “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,” read the statment. It’s speculated that the financial damage is estimated to be in the millions. Glastonbury organizers have assured this year’s ticket holders that they are guaranteed entry into next year’s festival, or if they wish they can request a refund.

The decision to cancel was based on the latest government recommendations, in a bid to stop the virus from spreading. A total of 2,626 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the UK – but the actual number of cases is estimated to be between 35,000 and 50,000. To most the cancellation has come as no big surprise, the UK government are advising against all unnecessary travel and social interaction. In the past few days, every major British museum has temporarily closed it’s doors until further notice.

While you may not be able to attend or stream footage from this year’s Glastonbury Festival, you can revisit the Foo Fighters 2017 performance, in the video below.

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