Ottawa’s Bluesfest 2020 cancelled; ticketholders can get full refund

Organizers have officially cancelled the 2020 edition of RBC Bluesfest, one of Ottawa’s most popular summer festivals.

Bluesfest executive director Mark Monahan said in a statement Tuesday that despite having overcome tornadoes and stage collapses in years past, the show could not go on this year in the face of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Anyone who bought a ticket for the July concert dates will be entitled to a full refund, though organizers have offered an option for fans to hold on to their tickets for the 2021 festival, which will see planned acts for the 2020 edition such as Billy Talent, Blink-182, Boyz II Men and The National rebooked for the later date.

Holding on to tickets for another year will help the non-profit organization retain its staff and put on a strong show in 2021, according to organizers.

The majority of Bluesfest’s funding comes directly from ticket buys, Monahan said in a video asking patrons to consider sitting on their tickets for 2021.

“It is critical to the survival of the festival,” Monahan said.

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Bluesfest ticketholders will receive an email on May 1 with options for requesting a refund.

The cancellation of Bluesfest will surely strike a sour note for Ottawa’s tourism industry, which relies on the much-anticipated festival to drive thousands of fans to the nation’s capital every summer.

Ottawa Tourism CEO Michael Crockatt, whose organization is tasked with promoting the city as a destination for travel and major business conferences, told Global News recently that the summer festival season accounts for the vast majority of annual tourism dollars spent in Ottawa.

Crockatt said July is usually the biggest month of the year for the tourism sector with a lineup of marquee events such as Canada Day and Bluesfest — both of which have now been cancelled due to the pandemic.

The latest cancellations join earlier called-off events such as the Canadian Tulip and TD Ottawa Jazz festivals.

“This is going to be a year that is remembered for a long time for the hugely negative impact on the industry,” Crockatt said.