UPDATE (18/03/2020):
Boiler Room Festival postponed
Boiler Room Music Festival which was scheduled for 25 April 2020 has been postponed following the COVID19 outbreak.
Organisers released a statement to share the news:
“In response to the ongoing health concerns around the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the South African government’s restrictions on large events, Boiler Room and Until-Until have confirmed that they will postpone their Johannesburg music festival planned for Saturday 25 April 2020.”
The postponement is both necessary and responsible to ensure the health and safety of attendees, artists and production teams.
The event organisers confirm a new date will be announced later – while purchased tickets will remain valid and a refund is valid.
Cardi B’s #CastleLiteUnlocks concert postponed
Just in! Castle Lite Unlocks Cardi B is the latest event to postpone in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The concert which was scheduled for 12 June 2020 at the TicketPro Dome (JHB) has been postponed till further notice.
In a statement, Castle Lite reveals that info about tickets and a new date will be communicated by end of March.
They advise that those who have already purchased tickets will then be able to exchange their tickets for the new performance date or can obtain a full refund.
UPDATE (16/03/2020):
PSL matches suspended till further notice
Dr Irvin Khoza has announced that midweek and weekend PSL games are all suspended as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. On the other hand, the Multichoice Diski Challenge is being discontinued.
Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates match was scheduled for Tuesday at Loftus Stadium, while Kaizer Chiefs and Bidvest Wits match was taking place on Wednesday.
Stakeholders will hold a meeting on 19th March 2020 to discuss the way forward for the season.
The Corona Sunsets Festival postponed
The Corona Sunsets Festival is the latest event to postpone following the COVID19 outbreak in South Africa.
The festival was scheduled in 3 cities, kicking off at Cape Town (The Bungalow Clifton and Oval Field) on 28 March 2020.
The organisers shared the news in a statement;
“In light of President Ramaphosa’s COVID-19 address on Sunday, Corona and the Corona Sunsets Festival organisers have postponed the March 2020 Cape Town event to protect the wellbeing of the festival attendees.”
The festival will announce a new date and with tickets still valid for that date. Info about refund options will be revealed at a later stage.
The 14th South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) which were scheduled for 27 – 28 March 2020 have been canceled. The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) issued a statement announcing that the SAFTAs14 ‘will no longer take place’ due to coronavirus outbreak.
Boyz II Men Tour in South Africa has been postponed
Boyz II Men Tour in South Africa has been postponed following the coronavirus (COVID19) outbreak in the country.
The American R&B group was scheduled to perform in Pretoria (09 April 2020) and Cape Town on 13 April 2020.
Event organisers, Glen 21 released a statement:
“Both the upcoming Boyz II Men South African tour and the Scorpion Kings Live concert meant to take place next month, are officially postponed.
Event organisers Glen21 will make the necessary arrangements with both management teams over the next few days, and will announce the new concert dates once confirmed by all parties involved.
All information regarding refund options will be communicated to all ticket holders by the end of the week.”
DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small postpone ‘Scorpion Kings Live’ concert
Following an increase in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country, events and festivals were given a red flag yesterday by President Cyril Ramaphosa during a media briefing.
DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small have decided to postpone the upcoming Scorpion Kings Live concert. The concert was scheduled to take place on 11 April 2020 at Sun Arena at Time Square (Pretoria).
In a statement, they reveal the concert will get a new date and those who have already bought tickets will have refund options.
“In light of the honorable President Ramaphosa’s State of Disaster announcement last night banning all large public gatherings, the upcoming Scorpion Kings Live concert meant to take place next month is officially postponed. ”
“All information regarding refund options will be communicated to all ticket holders by the end of the week.”
UPDATE (15/03/2020):
During a media briefing on Sunday evening, President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared gatherings, events, and festivals of more than 100 people will be prohibited.
“Gatherings of more than 100 people will be prohibited. Mass celebrations of upcoming national days such as #HumanRightsDay and other large government events will be cancelled.”
This will affect music festivals, public events, church gatherings, conferences, sports events, and matches.
UPDATE (13/03/2020):
Cape Town International Jazz Festival postponed
The Cape Town International Jazz Festival has announced that its March festival has been postponed amid coronavirus outbreak.
In light of growing concerns around the spread of Coronavirus, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival management regrets to inform the public that this year’s event has been postponed for the foreseeable future as a public health precautionary measure.
There is still too much uncertainty and we are not prepared to jeopardise the health of you, our loyal Festinos, our local and international artists, and our fellow South Africans. Please refer to our website for questions regarding the refund of your tickets.
This was a difficult yet entirely necessary decision and we’re sure you share in both our disappointment and understanding of why we had to postpone the event at such short notice.
MTN Bushfire Festival 2020 postponed
MTN Bushfire Festival has postponed its 2020 edition due to coronavirus outbreak. The 14th Edition of the festival has been moved to 28-30 May 2021.
“With the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) increasing in Southern Africa and across the globe, MTN Bushfire, together with government stakeholders, its partners and sponsors, have made the joint decision to postpone the 14th Edition of the MTN Bushfire festival to 28-30 May, 2021.”
“Festival tickets and camping passes that have already been purchased will still be valid in 2021. The festival has also entered into negotiations with all other travel and accommodation partners to ensure that guests can defer their bookings to 2021 festival dates. Festivalgoers are encouraged to contact the relevant travel and accommodation providers to make these arrangements. “
VW Vivo Nation Festival postponed due to coronavirus outbreak
Following our below article about upcoming local festivals and music events being at risk because of the coronavirus outbreak, Volkswagen South Africa is the first to announce that they have postponed the upcoming VIVOnation. The festival was scheduled for 4 and 5 April 2020.
The statement reads:
“VIVOnation 2020 is now scheduled to take place later in the year, with specific dates to be communicated in due course.
The production team is working with artists to secure the same line-up, and the VIVOnation experience will remain the exact same format of four music stages, a Vivo Bula Boot market and unique driving experiences. All tickets will be valid for the new dates. Any customers who wish to get a full refund can do so on the Howler website.”
ORIGINAL POST: (13/03/2020)
South African festivals and live events could be facing a major blow due to the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
At the time of writing this piece, the South African Health Department has confirmed 16 positive cases in provinces; KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Western Cape, and Gauteng.
As the number keeps increasing on a daily basis, it is possible to see more damage coming – especially to events, music festivals, concerts, and conferences.
Just yesterday, the KwaZulu-Natal government and organizers announced the postponement of the World Football Summit Africa which was scheduled for next Tuesday and Wednesday at the Durban ICC.
Around the world, major festivals like Coachella, SXSW, Ultra (Miami) and Tomorrowland Winter have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak and some had to postpone, while others had to cancel.
Khalid, Stormzy, Miley Cyrus, Ciara, Lil Nas X, Ari Lennox, and Avril Lavigne are some of the artists who had to cancel tours and shows due to travel restrictions – all due to coronavirus concerns.
Adding to that the NBA has recently suspended the 19-20 season, FORMULA 1 (Australian Grand Prix) has been called off, La Liga has been suspended and The Premier League is postponed.
With that in mind, this could also mean bad news for local festivals, live events, and even sporting events. It is most likely possible that as we continue to see the number of cases increasing in the country, gatherings which involve crowds could be dismissed or forced to postpone.
With just a glimpse at the calendar we see events such as:
– Deep Soul Sensation Music Food & Lifestyle Fest (March)
– Corona Sunsets Festival (March)
– Boyz II Men LIVE in South Africa (April)
– Back to the City Festival scheduled for April
– Scorpion Kings LIVE scheduled for April
– Cape Town Jazz Festival (March)
– VW Vivo Nation happening in April
– Boiler Room Music Festival scheduled for April
– Joburg Comedy Festival (April)
– WWE LIVE in South Africa (April)
– Tracy Morgan ‘No Disrespect’ Tour (May)
– MTN Bushfire Festival (May)
– Castle Lite Unlocks Cardi B (June)
At this stage, none of the above organizers have announced any delay or postponement, but things could take a different turn as the virus becomes a threat to the country.
The ones faced with more problems are shows/festivals which have invited international acts to perform in the country. Should South Africa implement travel bans related to countries affected by Covid-19, this would mean more bad news.
Since much is unpredictable about this outbreak, let’s see how things will unfold.
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