GLASTONBURY CANCELED 

The Glastonbury Festival has been officially called off for 2021 due to the pandemic, casting doubt on the entire festival season in the U.K. The event’s organizers, Michael and Emily Eavis, shared the news in a statement today.

Set to take place at the end of June, the 2021 edition had already announced Paul McCartney as a headliner alongside a slew of other performers including Diana Ross, Camila Cabello, Muse, Dua Lipa, Primal Scream, Pet Shop Boys and Thom Yorke.

Earlier this month, Emily Eavis denied claims by Spice Girls member Mel B (the Spice Girls were rumored to be playing the Sunday night Legends slot) that the event was going to be cancelled. She nonetheless confirmed B's speculation this morning in a tweet: “In spite of our efforts to move heaven and earth, it has become clear that we simply will not be able to make the festival happen this year. We are so sorry to let you all down.”

Those who secured a ticket in October are being offered the opportunity to roll their £50 deposit over to next year, which will guarantee the chance to buy a ticket for 2022. The Eavises said, “We are very 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!”

With Glastonbury gone, the question remains whether it’s viable for any mass-scale event to take place this year. In an interview with the Guardian, Association of Independent Festivals CEO Paul Reed said bigger festivals are likely to make decisions this month, while smaller outings are likely to wait until the end of March.

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. Tickets for this year will roll over to next year. Full statement below and on our website. Michael & Emily pic.twitter.com/SlNdwA2tHd

— Glastonbury Festival (@glastonbury) January 21, 2021