U.K.'s BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR: 2020 Festival Canceled

The organizers of the annual Bloodstock Open Air festival have announced the cancelation of this year's event.

The 2020 edition of the festival was scheduled to take place August 6-9 at Catton Park in Derbyshire, with headlining performance from JUDAS PRIEST, BEHEMOTH and Devin Townsend.

Earlier today, the festival organizers issued the following statement: "Following the ongoing government guidance on mass gatherings and social distancing, we are extremely disappointed to announce that this year's Bloodstock will no longer be going ahead. We respect the government's mandate and recognise it is made with the best intentions, in order to protect the health & safety of not only our audience, but our staff, crew, musicians, and other contractors who work on site at Bloodstock. Safety remains of paramount importance to us.

"We know you have been concerned about what the developing Covid-19 situation would mean for Bloodstock and will be as disappointed as we are at this tough decision, but we hope you can appreciate it is the right choice to make at this time. We had been working tirelessly to ensure we could still offer the top quality Bloodstock experience you trust us to provide, year on year — and this year more than ever, when we invited you to celebrate 20 Years of Bloodstock with us. We do not — and never will — take this trust in us for granted.

"We have been reading your comments on our social media, and many of you have said that in this circumstance, you would like the option to roll your 2020 ticket over to 2021's event — and we can confirm that you are able do that. Rest assured that Bloodstock will return with an almighty vengeance, better and stronger than ever, so to that end and to help assuage your disappointment, next year Bloodstock will be adding an extra day!

"The festival will be 5 days and start from Wednesday, as opposed to Thursday; the dates for 2021's event will be 11th - 15th August. This will be at no extra cost to those who have already purchased weekend tickets for 2020 and wish to roll them over. We will also freeze prices at the ticket store until later this year, when prices will then increase by just £10 and a new, longer 6-month instalment plan will launch to make that option even easier to manage. The on-sale date for day tickets and any returns on previously sold out ticket categories, such as camper vans, will be announced in due course. We are happy to report that many artists on this year's line-up have already reconfirmed for 2021 and we look forward to sharing further plans with you soon. Meanwhile, you can watch an updated trailer for the festival and a special message from metal overlord Rob Halford, from headliner JUDAS PRIEST.

"Should you prefer a refund, we also wish to state that full, face value refunds will be available to everyone who has already purchased a Bloodstock 2020 ticket from official sellers and assure you of our best efforts to process those refunds within 28 days, where possible. We have a lot to sort out, so please bear with us — everyone who has purchased a ticket already from Seetickets will be emailed in the next 7-14 days.

"We are also updating our website and have launched a new page to answer your questions about refunds & the roll-over process.

"While we understand the current financial climate is difficult for many, we sincerely hope you will decide to join us to celebrate Bloodstock next year. As an independent, family run festival, we wish to extend our deepest appreciation for your continued and loyal support.

"We know we are privileged to have such a strong Bloodstock community, and as a united family of heavy metal fans, we WILL prevail."