Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre announced Monday that it has cancelled all outdoor summer festivals in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Centre said it made the decision based on the guidance of government and health officials.
“We are making this difficult decision out of an abundance of caution to protect the health and safety of our staff, the artists involved and our visitors,” said Harboufront Centre CEO Marah Braye in a press release. “We are disappointed, but health and safety will always be our top priority.”
The cancelled summer season would have run from July 1 to Labour Day (Sept. 7).
Affected events include Canada Day Celebrations and Summer Music in the Garden.
“As we sadly say goodbye to some of our live, on-site events for the summer, these unprecedented challenges have inspired us to bring audiences new and stimulating was to share in the diversity and cultures of the communities that make up our great city,” said Braye.
The Centre said it will take the time to come up with “innovative new ways to re-imagine its festivals and programming.”
It will also still partner with the City of Toronto in creating virtual celebrations for Canada Day.
As of Monday morning, Ontario has reported 17,923 coronavirus cases and 1,300 deaths.