By Glastonbury Cancelled: Uncertainty Hangs Over UK Festival Season
The cancellation of this year’s Glastonbury Festival throws a cloud of uncertainty over the entire UK summer festival season. It’s also unclear whether this year’s Snowbombing festival in Austria will go ahead.
UK Music Chief Executive Jamie Njoku-Goodwin said the cancellation of Glastonbury was “devastating for all of us”. He added: “It will have a serious impact on thousands of jobs right across the country and many jobs in the supply chains for Glastonbury.”
Njoku-Goodwin stressed: “There is now a huge cloud of uncertainty hanging over the whole summer festival and live music season with the entire industry in limbo and thousands more jobs in jeopardy.”
Great Regret
Organisers Michael and Emily Eavis cancelled this year’s Glastonbury at Worthy Farm “with great regret” due to the Coronavirus pandemic. They cancelled last year’s festival too. The legendary UK festival, which attracts over 200,000 music fans, was due to celebrate its 50th anniversary last year.
“This will be another enforced fallow year for us,” said the Eavises in a statement. “In spite of our efforts to move heaven and earth, it has become clear we simply will not be able to make the festival happen this year. We are so sorry to let you all down.”
Like last year, all who secured a ticket in October 2019 can roll their £50 deposit over to next year. Glastonbury Festival 2022 will take place from 22nd – 26th June.
“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,” said the Eavises. “We thank you for your incredible continued support and let’s look forward to better times ahead.”
Dub Pistols frontman Barry Ashworth said: “Gutted to hear Glastonbury Festival has been cancelled but not unexpected, to be honest. Vocalist Rowetta Satchell said she was “really sad” Glastonbury won’t be taking place again this year. DJ and producer Nick Warren said: “We will miss the highlight of the summer.”
Real Risk
UK Music is calling on the UK Government to look at more financial support for the music industry and those who work in it “as a matter of urgency”. UK Music Chief Executive Jamie Njoku-Goodwin said: “Without more government help, there is a real risk that some of our world-leading music scene will disappear forever.
“The music industry is desperate to get back on its feet when we can operate safely. When the time comes for the post-pandemic recovery, we can play our role in our country’s economic and cultural revival. But until that point, we need more financial support to keep us going.
Njoku-Goodwin added: “If that support is not forthcoming, we will risk losing some of our finest emerging talent with the fear that Covid could rip a giant and permanent hole in the UK’s music scene and our cultural fabric.”
Full Assessment
Meanwhile, Snowbombing organisers need to make a call soon on whether this year’s festival will go ahead. It’s scheduled for 5th – 10th April, in Mayrhofen, Austria. Organisers are “working on a full assessment of the situation, alongside the Mayrhofen Tourist Board”.
