Greenbelt Festival postponed for first time in half a century due to coronavirus

The organisers of the Greenbelt Festival have announced this year’s event has been postponed until next year.

The music arts and faith festival which takes place in the grounds of Boughton House near Kettering was due to return at the end of August but now won’t go ahead for the first time in its 47-year history.

In an online statement, organisers said: “We’re going to have to wait another year until we can celebrate the 47th Greenbelt because we’ve had to take the crushing decision to cancel this year’s festival.

“Obviously we would never have gone ahead if there had ever been the slightest risk to anyone’s health and safety and over the past few weeks it’s become all-too clear that we simply can’t deliver the brilliant production we’ve been planning this year.”

Organisers hope many of the performers which had been booked for this year will be able to reschedule for next summer and are in the process of contacting ticketholders to explain options which include rolling over tickets to next year.

The statement adds: “We’ve always said Greenbelt is about more than four days in a field.

“It’s about making spaces where all the things we cherish can co-exist and we’re still going to be doing that this year.

“We still plan to be somewhere to believe in during the long days of lockdown and beyond.

“In the meantime, all our thoughts and prayers are with those keeping us safe and well on the many frontlines of the battle with Covid-19.”

Previous acts to perform at the festival include Pussy Riot, Frank Turner and comedian Russell Brand.

Greenbelt’s cancellation follows the recent postponement of Fairport’s Cropredy Convention, which takes place annually on the border of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire.

For full details, visit https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/gb20-update