Organizers of music festival Burning Man announced last Friday that the festival, which is scheduled from August 30th to September 7th, in Nevada has been canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
"After much listening, discussion, and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision not to build Black Rock City in 2020. Given the painful reality of COVID-19, one of the greatest global challenges of our lifetimes, we believe this is the right thing to do," according to the organizers in article from Rolling Stone.
"Yes, we are heartbroken. We know you are too. In 2020 we need human connection and immediacy more than ever. But public health and the well-being of our participants, staff, and neighbors in Nevada are our highest priorities," the organizers added in their statement.
Nevada, especially in the Black Rock Desert is the venue of this annual event. But Nevada, according to CBS 8 News, reported 2,800 cases with 112 deaths, as reported by health officials in the state.
Burning Man is the latest music festival in the United States cancelled due to the pandemic. Other events that were cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic were SXSW, Coachella, New Orleans Jazz Fest, and Ultra Music Festival. Other big events that were cancelled were the Glastonbury festival in the U.K. and Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
About Burning Man
Burning Man is a festival held in the Black Rock Desert since 1986. The desert is 100 miles from the nearest city of Reno. The name of the festival comes from a wooden effigy called "(t)he Man that is being burned on the Saturday schedule of the event. The event is organized by the non-profit organization, the Burning Man Project.
The event was a gritty and counterculture event that became global and popular among celebrities. The event attracted DJs, tech executives, hedge fund managers and more. According to The Guardian, due to the location of the event, there was no running water and soap, making the festival a public health concern.
After the cancellation of the festival, organizers will launch a virtual version of the festival named Virtual Black City 2020. Organizers said that it may be hard to make and it will be "messy" but it will also be engaging, collective, and fun. The organizers will offer refunds of its tickets worth $475 and vehicle passes worth $140. But Burning Man asked the ticket buyers to donate to the organization instead, if able. This is to help the organization survive for next year.
Festivals and concerts cancelled due to COVID-19
As the coronavirus pandemic still ravage many areas in the United States and around the world, many concerts and music festivals were cancelled or postponed. Here are some of the updated concerts and other music events that were cancelled or postponed this 2020, according to Billboard.
1.) Shania Twain
Twain cancelled her residency performances at the Zappos Theater in Las Vegas until June 6 in compliance to the recommendation of CDC regarding events. At this time "Let's Go" is scheduled to resume in August.
2.) WOMAD
The annual World of Music, Arts, and Dance festival or WOMAD cancelled their event this year and proceeded to plan for 2021 WOMAD instead. Festival co-founder Peter Gabriel said in a statement to Billboard that many of the artists offered to perform in 2021. The cancellation is for the safety of the audience, artists, and the staff of the festival.
3.) Queen
English rock band Queen and Adam Lambert announced that the European leg of their Rhapsody Tour would be postponed until next year.
4.) Alabama Hangout Fest
The Alabama Hangout Fest cancelled the Gulf Shore beachside bash which is scheduled from May 15-17. The event is now looking for potential dates to reschedule. The event will feature performances from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Post Malone, Billie Eilish, Lana Del Rey and more.
5.) Modern English
English rock band Modern English postponed their 40th anniversary tour in North America. Mick Conroy, the band's guitarist, urged their fans to stay at home and support all of the health workers on the front line of the pandemic.
COVID-19 Update
As of this writing, according to Worldometers.info and the Johns Hopkins University, there are more than 1,800,000 cases with over 114,000 deaths worldwide. There have been more than 423,000 recoveries so far. In the United States, there are more than 560,000 cases. More than 22,000 patients have died, while over 32,000 had recovered.
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