By James Simons-
Glastonbury Festival has been axed for a second year in a row because of the coronavirus pandemic, organisers Michael and Emily Eavis have announced.
With great regret, we must announce that this year’s Glastonbury festival will not take place, and that this will be another enforced fallow year for us,” organisers Michael and Emily Eavis said in a statement. “In spite of our efforts to move heaven and earth, it has become clear that we simply will not be able to make the festival happen this year. We are so sorry to let you all down.”
The decision came down to the wire: on 4 January, Emily Eavis said there was no news and that the event wasn’t cancelled, denying claims made by Spice Girl Mel B on BBC Radio 5 Live that it had been.
News of the festival’s cancellation has promoted concerns among UK rock fans about the fate of this summer’s Download festival, given that the UK’s biggest hard rock and metal festival is scheduled to take place on June 4-6, three weeks ahead of what was supposed to be Glastonbury weekend.
Speaking on Twitter the event organisers told music fans that tickets will rollover for 2022.
The statement read: “With great regret, we must announce that this year’s Glastonbury Festival will not take place, and that this will be another enforced fallow year for us.
“In spite of our efforts to move Heaven and Earth, it has become clear that we simply will not be able to make the festival happen this year. We are so sorry to let you all down.”
They added: “We are very appreciative of the faith and trust placed in us by those of you with deposits, and we are very confident we can deliver something really special for us all in 2022!
“We thank you for your incredible continued support and let’s look forward to better times ahead.”
The news is the latest blow for the music industry, earlier this week more than 100 of the biggest UK music stars wrote to the Government saying that performers have been “shamefully failed” by post-Brexit travel rules.
The likes of Sir Elton John, Liam Gallagher, Ed Sheeran and Brain May criticised the Government’s Brexit deal for not including visa-free travel for musicians, and urged the Government to “do what it said it would do” and negotiate paper-work free travel to Europe for British artists and their equipment.
Since the end of free movement following Brexit, performing artists looking to tour in the EU must now seek separate permits to work in many of the 27 member states.
Other signatories include Nicola Benedetti, Sir Simon Rattle, Sting, Glastonbury organisers Michael and Emily Eavis and The Who frontman Roger Daltrey.
Deborah Annetts, chief executive of the Incorporated Society of Musicians, added: “World-renowned performers, emerging artists from every genre and the most respected figures from leading organisations within our sector are now sending a clear message.
“It is essential for the Government to negotiate a new reciprocal agreement that allows performers to tour Europe for up to 90 days, without the need for a work permit.”