Punchestown Festival 2020 has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The annual festival, which takes place annually in Kildare, was scheduled from Tuesday 28 April to Saturday 2 May.
Now organisers have confirmed the cancellation following consultation with Horse Racing Ireland and the relevant statutory bodies, and in the interest of the health and safety of those who would have been in attendance.
There will be a full refund policy for those who had tickets to attend, and organisers will be in touch shortly.
CEO Conor O’Neill said: “The cancellation of the 2020 Punchestown Festival is of course very disappointing although in these unprecedented times it is certainly the appropriate decision.
"Above all, the health and safety of our visitors, clients, staff and participants is of paramount importance and that has been the key focus in the decision making process.
"These are very difficult times for everyone both from a business and a personal point of view and I would like to reassure all of our clients that we will offer a full refund policy."
He continued: “On behalf of the directors, management and staff of Punchestown Racecourse, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those that have supported us from our sponsors and clients to the racing industry and the community of Kildare and beyond.
"In particular, thank you for your patience over the past number of weeks which has enabled us to work in conjunction with Horse Racing Ireland and the relevant government authorities as we have continuously monitored and assessed the feasibility of various scenarios before ultimately making the decision to cancel the event in its entirety.
"In these difficult and challenging times we send our support and best wishes to all and together we can look forward to better days ahead”.
The 2021 Punchestown Festival is scheduled to take place from Tuesday 27 April to Saturday 1 May.
