Download Festival UK has been cancelled due to coronavirus

Download Festival UK will no longer go ahead this year due to coronavirus.

KISS, Iron Maiden and System of a Down were due to play headline slots at the June festival.

In a statement on Twitter, organisers wrote: “We’ve been closely monitoring this unprecedented situation and it’s become clear that it’s just not possible for the 2020 festival to go ahead.”

Download 2020 will not be going ahead, read the full statement here. pic.twitter.com/zyMSk91iMu

— Download Festival (@DownloadFest) March 26, 2020

They continued, “this decision hasn’t been taken lightly and we’re beyond disappointed, we extend our heartfelt apologies to all of you – we really did try and make this work.”

Refunds will be available from point of purchase, and the organisers are currently working on processing this. The option to roll your ticket over to next year is also available if you’d prefer.

Download UK’s cancellation comes after the same fate befell its Australian counterpart, which also couldn’t go ahead. Initially, it was only cancelled as it couldn’t replace headliners My Chemical Romance, but further restrictions on mass gatherings made it clear that it wouldn’t have been able to happen in any case.

It also follows the cancellation of Glastonbury, the only festival in the UK larger than Download. Many other tours, gigs and industry events have been cancelled.

The UK has recently increased its social distancing measures, with all citizens now told to stay at home unless it’s absolutely necessary to leave.

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