Guelph’s annual Hillside Summer Festival will not be taking place this year due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
It was officially rescheduled for July 2021 as tickets that were already purchased for this year’s show will still be accepted.
“To say we are crushed by this news is an understatement,” organizers stated in a post on Hillside’s website.
Large public gatherings in Ontario have been restricted since March 29 and it doesn’t appear the province has any plans to lift those restrictions for quite some time.
Travel restrictions have also prevented organizers from booking artists who live outside of Canada and the festival’s location, the Guelph Lake Conservation Area, has been closed indefinitely since March 23.
Past festivals have included artists such as July Talk, Tegan and Sara, Gord Downie, Bruce Cockburn, and Steve Earle and The Dukes.
“Though we have moved from disbelief to acceptance, we are still grieving the thought of a landscape bereft of creative people: artists, volunteers, technical crews, sponsors, and live music devotees,” organizers stated.
Even with the festival postponed, organizers said they will still face “unimaginable challenges.”
“With the support of you, the community and our government, we will work hard to rise up and blaze anew in 2021, helping to make our beloved community stronger,” they stated.
Ticketholders have three options as they can either keep their tickets for next year’s festival, get a full refund or make a donation in the amount of a ticket to help keep the festival afloat.
More information can be found on Hillside’s website.