Vancouver Island MusicFest has been shelved for 2021, due to the pandemic.

Executive producer Doug Cox said they held off on the decision for as long as possible, but the cancellation of the popular Comox Valley event was inevitable.

B次元官网网址淚t is actually a bit of a relief to finally come to this decision,B次元官网网址� said Cox. B次元官网网址淲e have been waiting, as the world has, to see what is going to happen. But we have had a lot of discussions, and even if we are allowed to go ahead with it, would we feel comfortable doing it? The answer is no. Not this year. Even if we were allowed to do it, how much of our audience would feel comfortable coming out to a festival with their families?

B次元官网网址淪o, it sucks, butB次元官网网址� we are doing the right thing for the community.B次元官网网址�

Many of the ticket holders from the cancelled 2020 event had opted to roll their tickets over for the 2021 event, as opposed to receiving a refund. Cox said his staff has reached out to all those who had done that, and the majority of those who have replied asked if they could simply roll their tickets over again, for the 2022 festival.

B次元官网网址淲e are planning an online event for this summer, for the same weekend the festival was to happen, and we originally told the ticket holders they could use their tickets for the online event, but the response was so overwhelming of people saying B次元官网网址榗ould we please just use it for 2022B次元官网网址� that we changed our minds and said we could do that,B次元官网网址� said Cox. B次元官网网址淭hat was actually really lovely. People were so positive about the whole thing. There was no negativity at all.

B次元官网网址淪o we are taking all that money from the 2020 tickets and putting it, basically, in lockdown until the 2022 (planning starts).B次元官网网址�

Cox said details of the online festival will emerge soon. It will run on the July 9-11 weekend - the same weekend as the live festival was scheduled.

B次元官网网址淥ne of the cool things about our online festival this year is that we are teaming up with the Ministry of Tourism and we will be shooting performances at key spots all over the Comox Valley, and those will be featured, as will the Comox Valley, throughout the whole weekend.B次元官网网址�

In the meantime, the Island MusicFest office on Cousins Avenue has been shut down and all staff has been temporarily laid off.

B次元官网网址淲e are all kind of taking a sabbatical, just to save some money,B次元官网网址� said Cox. B次元官网网址淲e will be active and still doing a few things online, and we will kick back in, as for staff, later on in the year, in the fall. I want people to know that we are doing what we have to do to keep the organization alive.B次元官网网址�

terry.farrell@blackpress.ca
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