Vancouver’s Bard on the Beach festival cancelled due to coronavirus

Bard on the Beach has cancelled its 2020 season due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Artistic director Christopher Gaze said organizers wanted to keep the annual open-air Shakespeare festival going, but there were too many concerns about safety.

1:58 Local artists transform boarded up storefronts in Gastown

“It has now become clear that if we stage a festival this summer, we cannot ensure that standard of safety and well-being for all, and so we’ve made the deeply painful decision to cancel our 31st season.”

The festival was scheduled to run from June 10 to September 26.

Get breaking National news

Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won't miss a trending story.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Get Started

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

About 240 people will be laid off.

More than 100,000 people a year gather at Vanier Park on the city’s west side for Bard on the Beach.

The 2020 season was slated to feature productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Henry V.

Patrons who had bought tickets are eligible for 2021 ticket credits, charitable tax-receipted donations, and full refunds.