Wetherby Festival cancelled
It is with great regret that we have taken the decision to cancel the Wetherby Arts Festival scheduled for October 2020.
We plan to be back in October 2021 with a week-long Festival!
Orchestral concerts, literary lunches, live comedy, theatre, tribute acts, dance and cinema have all had to be cancelled this year, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. Social distancing rules are unlikely to be relaxed by October. Large gatherings are impossible. The economics of small audiences defeats logic.
Wetherby Festival is not alone. Cameron Mackintosh has cancelled all his West End shows until well into next year. Festivals and theatres around the world, likewise.
Robert Haskins, Festival Chairman, deeply regrets the cancellation, but he says it is not the first time we have missed a year. Robert took over in 2016. “Before my time, Festivals were often held every other year,” he said, “So it’s not too abnormal.” He went on to say, “I have been talking to Festival organisers throughout the UK and Europe. All are facing the same threats, but all are full of ideas.”
“The pandemic is encouraging us all into new ways of working. We have been holding popular virtual fortnightly quizzes through the Lock-down. We have set up a YouTube channel for Virtual Events and we hope to mount normal events during the year when safe to do so. We are also working with ‘Leeds Inspired’ to develop some dance events with young children. Many of our artists, including the poet Roger McGough, have promised to return in October 2021.”
For further details please email publicity@wetherby.festival.co.uk
