Download, Isle Of Wight Festivals Cancelled Due To Coronavirus Crisis
KISS, Iron Maiden and System Of A Down were due to headline Download, while the Isle Of Wight was set to host Lewis Capaldi, The Chemical Brothers and Lionel Richie.
The 2020 Download and Isle of Wight Festivals are the latest major events to announce their cancellation as the coronavirus crisis continues to grip the globe.
They follow Glastonbury, which announced it would be pulling the plug on its 50th anniversary celebrations last week.
In a statement, the Isle of Wight team said their decision was “unavoidable” and vowed to return “stronger than ever” in 2021.
The Isle of Wight Festival was set to place from 11-14 June, welcoming headline sets from the likes of Lionel Richie, Lewis Capaldi, Snow Patrol, The Chemical Brothers, and Duran Duran.
Confirming refund plans for ticket-holders, the Isle of Wight team wrote: “We are working closely with our ticketing partners at the moment and they will be touch very soon to process your refund, or, if you prefer, you can retain your ticket and carry it over to next year.”
The 2020 Download Festival was due to take place at Castle Donington on 12-14 June with Iron Maiden, KISS and System Of A Down set to headline, but with the music world in turmoil due to the coronavirus pandemic, organisers have taken the decision to cancel the 2020 event.
A statement reads: “Download festival will no longer be taking place this year. We’ve been closely monitoring this unprecedented situation and it’s become clear that it just isn’t possible for the 2020 festival to go ahead.
“This decision hasn’t been taken lightly and we’re beyond disappointed. We extend our heartfelt apologies to all of you – we really did try to make this work.
“Please rest assured we will be back next year. Now, more than ever, we need the Download spirit to thrive and offer support to those that need it most. We’ll do our best to put together an amazing line-up for you in 2021 and can’t wait to see you all then. Thank you, as ever, for your continued support.”
Both festivals urged fans to wait five days until contacting their point of purchase.
Other festivals to be cancelled include SXSW, while Coachella has been postponed as the disease continues to wreak havoc across the globe. SXSW was due to kick off in Texas last weekend, while Coachella was set to take place next month. It has now been moved to October.
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