Glastonbury Festival 2020 cancelled to due Coronavirus pandemic

Glastonbury Festival 2020 has been cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The historic event's 50th anniversary celebrations will no longer go ahead, with ticket deposits purchased for this year being valid for next year's festival in 2021.

Event organisers Michael and Emily Eavis announced the news on social media, stating: "We are so sorry to announce this but Glastonbury 2020 will have to be cancelled, and this will be an enforced fallow year for the festival.

"Following new government measures announced this week - and in times of such unprecedented uncertainty - this is now our only viable option." 

We are so sorry to announce this, but we are going to have to cancel Glastonbury 2020. Tickets for this year will roll over to next year. Full statement below and on our website. Michael & Emily pic.twitter.com/ox8kcQ0HoB

— Glastonbury Festival (@glastonbury) March 18, 2020

Michael and Emily explained that even if the Coronavirus situation improves in the coming weeks and months, they and their team would not have sufficient time to prepare the site due to new government advice regarding social distancing and self-isolation.

"We very much hope that the situation in the UK will have improved enormously by the end of June. But even if it has, we are no longer able to spend the next three months with thousands of crew here on the farm, helping us with the enormous job of building the infrastructure and attractions needed to welcome more than 200,000 people to a temporary city in these fields."

Glastonbury 2020 was set to be headlined by Taylor Swift, Sir Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar, with a supporting bill including Kacey Musgraves, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Pet Shop Boys, Lana Del Rey, Dua Lipa and legends slot performer Diana Ross.

If you have already paid the £50 deposit for Glastonbury 2020 tickets, you are able to roll over the deposit for the 2021 festival. Organisers announced the cancellation prior to April 1, the deadline for when festival-goers were to pay off the remaining balance for their £270 tickets. Those who wish to have their deposits refunded can do so (until September) via See Tickets in the coming days.