Glastonbury organisers have confirmed the festival will be unable to go ahead in 2021 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The event – which usually takes place in June – has been cancelled for the second year running, a post on the official Glastonbury account revealed on Thursday afternoon.
“With great regret, we must announce that this year’s Glastonbury Festival will not take place, and that this will be another enforced fallow year for us,” they said, noting that “tickets for this year will roll over to next year”.
In a joint statement, organisers Michael and Emily Eavis explained: “With great regret, we must announce that this year’s Glastonbury Festival will not take place, and that this will be another enforced fallow year for us.
“In spite of our efforts to move Heaven & Earth, it has become clear that we simply will not be able to make the Festival happen this year. We are sorry to let you all down.
“As with last year, we would like to offer all those who secured a ticket in October 2019 the opportunity to roll their £50 deposit over to next year, and guarantee the chance to buy a ticket for Glastonbury 2022.”
They continued: “We are appreciative of the faith and trust placed in us by those of you with deposits, and we are very confident we can deliver something really special for us all in 2022! We thank you for your incredible continued support and let’s look forward to better times ahead.”
No performers for the scheduled 2021 festival had yet been announced.
Rapper Kendrick Lamar, Beatles star Paul McCartney and chart-topping singer Taylor Swift had all been booked to headline Glastonbury in 2020, before the event was scrapped due to the pandemic.
Diana Ross was supposed to have filled the “Legends” slot, following in the footsteps of recent performers like Kylie Minogue, Dolly Parton and ELO.
Last month, organiser Emily Eavis said she and her team were doing “everything we can on our end to plan and prepare” for Glastonbury in 2021, but told Radio 1: “I think we’re still quite a long way from being able to say we’re confident 2021 will go ahead.”
Her father and fellow organiser Michael Eavis previously suggested there could be hope for Glastonbury in 2021, if mass Covid-19 testing were to be introduced.
Glastonbury last took place in 2019, with Stormzy, The Cure and The Killers in headlining on the Pyramid Stage, while Kylie Minogue took on the “Legends” slot.