Chicago

Pitchfork Music Festival Cancels 2020 Event Due to Coronavirus

Organizers said the fest plans to return in 2021

NBCUniversal, Inc.

Pitchfork Music Festival announced Wednesday that it is canceling its 2020 event due to coronavirus.

The announcement was made on the festival's website. Pitchfork was expected to be held in Chicago’s Union Park July 17–19. Ticketholders will be contacted directly via email with full refund options, organizers said.

"It can be pretty daunting to think about the future of live music right now, but know that we are fully committed to bringing Pitchfork Music Festival back in 2021, if the public health situation allows for it," the fest wrote on its website. "In the meantime, we urge everyone to follow local health department guidelines. We are in this together, and, if we all do our part, we’ll celebrate next year in person."

Meanwhile, the group plans to host live streams to "use the full weight of Pitchfork to support musicians and the community around our festival."

"We’re not going anywhere—stay tuned, stay positive, and see you soon," the message read.

The news comes after Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker unveiled a five-phase plan to reopen the state, with phase five marking the time when large events, festivals, conventions and carnivals can be held. The time when that final phase can be reached is still far away, according to the governor.

“It brings me no joy to say this, but based on what the experts tell us and everything we know about this virus and how easily it spreads in a crowd: large conventions, festivals and other major events will be on hold until we reach phase five,” Pritzker said.

Meanwhile, Lollapalooza organizers said in an email to fans that a decision is coming.

"As a reminder, we remain in touch with our partners in the city of Chicago about this year’s Lollapalooza," the email read. "As the festival is still several months away, we are taking careful consideration to work through our options. We are confident that we will have enough information to make a definitive decision about the path forward by the end of May. Chicago is our home, and we will continue to remain optimistic about Lollapalooza 2020. In the meantime, we encourage everyone to listen closely to government and public health leaders and stay safe."

Contact Us