Hopeful to make a return in 2021, the organizers of the annual festival states that it is 'neither safe nor prudent to move forward' with their June dates due to the evolving situation in the Big Apple.
- March 27, 2020
AceShowbiz - New York's Governors Ball 2020 festival has become the latest music casualty of the coronavirus pandemic.
The annual event had been due to take place in June and feature headlining sets by artists like Tame Impala and Missy Elliott - marking the rap icon's first big performance in New York City in more than a decade, but organisers were forced to cancel the bash on Thursday, March 26 as the uncertainty over the global health crisis continues.
"It is with a heavy heart that we must announce the cancellation of Governors Ball 2020 due to COVID-19," officials shared in a statement.
"Simply put - due to current government mandates and the evolving situation in NYC, it is neither safe nor prudent to move forward with our June dates. The wellbeing of our fans, artists, staff, vendors, partners and the surrounding NYC community is always our #1 priority."
Festival organisers hope to return in 2021, and have already started making plans for the future.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has introduced a string of strict rules in recent weeks in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 across the state, which has become the epicentre of the U.S. outbreak.
The new limitations include bans on mass gatherings and forced closures of many public places, including concert halls, Broadway theatres, dine-in restaurants, and bars.
Governors Ball 2020 had also been expected to host sets by Stevie Nicks, Vampire Weekend, Solange Knowles, Miley Cyrus, Ellie Goulding, H.E.R., and Maren Morris, among many others.
The event joins Texas' SXSW and Florida's Ultra Music, as well as Britain's Glastonbury, on the cancelled festivals list, while Coachella and Stagecoach in California, and Bonnaroo in Tennessee have been postponed until later in the year.
