The Newcastle Music Festival has cancelled its 2020 events schedule amid the uncertainty caused by the virus pandemonium overcoming the region.
The 11-day event, which would have marked the fifth Newcastle Music Festival, was not set to go ahead until August but the committee has said going ahead presents too great a risk for organisers, artists and the public, as well as an "enormous financial risk" for the Festival itself.
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"It is very disappointing for everyone that we must cancel a Festival that promised to be really wonderful," Festival president John Rostas said in a statement released on Friday.
"There were 26 events and concerts planned. Many of you will have seen our list of artists for 2020 including marvellous local performers, and others from other parts of NSW and interstate as well as overseas."
"We don't not want to risk the Festival becoming an event where the virus can be spread. We are very concerned that some of our artists, particularly those from overseas, will be unable to travel to Newcastle. Also, we must face the reality that some of our administrative and management team may be unavailable through quarantine at the time of the Festival, and there may be further restrictions on public gatherings in various venues.
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"We are enormously grateful to the sponsors, artists and audiences who have made our first four Festivals so successful and it is very disappointing that an important milestone - our fifth Festival - must wait another year.
"We look forward to 2021 being the best Festival yet, and we wish all our sponsors, artists and audiences good health at this difficult time."
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