Features
BST Hyde Park, Paléo, Lollapalooza: Major UK/European Festivals Cancel 2021 Editions
David Mirzoeff/PA Images via Getty Images – The site of British Summer Time: Hyde Park, London.
There won’t be any major concerts in the famous park this summer.
More major festivals in Europe and the UK announce the cancellation of their 2021 editions due to the uncertainties surrounding the lifting and tightening of COVID restrictions, particularly the resulting travel restrictions.
One of the latest victims in the UK is BST Hyde Park, which promoter AEG Presents decided to cancel for a second year in a row.
“Following our review of the most recent government advice, the latest timeline means that we are unable to deliver with certainty the quality BST Hyde Park is known for in the time available. By making this decision at this stage we allow artists, crew, fans and everyone that comes together to help create these shows to plan accordingly,” a company statement reads.
Two of the headliners scheduled to perform in London’s Hyde Park this year have already been confirmed to return in 2022, Duran Duran and Pear Jam.
Pearl Jam will perform on July 8-9, 2022. Special guests Pixies will join the band on Friday, July 8, 2022, while a new guest artist will be announced for the Saturday night’s performance, July 9, 2022.
Duran Duran will take place on Sunday, July 10, 2022. The band will be rejoined by Nile Rodgers & CHIC, just like they would have been this year.
The full supporting lineups will be announced at a later date. All tickets bought for the above-mentioned performances this year will remain valid.
FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images – US folk singer Joan Baez performs during the 40th Paleo Festival Nyon, July 25, 2015.
Paléo is the biggest open-air festival in Switzerland and one of Europe’s major musical events.
Mainland Europe, too, is bemoaning the second summer in a row without some of its major events. Switzerland, for instance, will experience another year without Paléo Festival Nyon.
Promoters had tried everything in their power to realise the festival in some form, even coming up with an entirely new concept for a massively scaled-own event. Not even that will be possible, however, given “too many uncertainties relating to the organization of a summer event” in line with the restrictions set by the country’s authorities.
A statement from the organizers reads: “The situation is complex, but the equation is simple. In order to get this project off the ground, a number of imperative conditions must be met. These include a minimum capacity authorized by the authorities, compatibility with health requirements, guarantees in the event of cancellation and artists being available.”
Paléo is a non-profit event, realized each year with the help of some 5,000 volunteers, and relying on tickets and f&b sales for almost 80% of its income. “If we were to start working on the event and it ended up being unauthorized, the risk of a deficit could be unsustainable,” the president of the Paléo Association, Daniel Rossellat, explained.
“The very existence of the Paléo Festival is at stake, and although the team is courageous, it is not foolhardy: the risks are too great. Hence, we prefer to ensure the Festival’s continuity and to start work on an event in 2022, which we hope will be spectacular,” a statement reads.
The 2022 dates have already been set for July 19-24, 2022.
Pax Engstrom – Lollapalooza Stockholm
More than 56,000 people attended the premiere in 2019.
Live Nation had to cancel the Swedish edition of Lollapalooza in Stockholm. It’s the second European Lolla that gets cancelled in 2021, following the edition in Paris, France.
While no official announcement has been made regarding the Berlin, Germany, event, there’s not much hope for any major events in the country.
The Lollapalooza editions in South America still have their 2021 dates listed on their respective websites.
The new dates for Lollapalooza Stockholm are July 1-3, 2022. Pear Jam have already been confirmed for next year. The French Lollapalooza edition has been rescheduled to July 16-17, 2022.
PAUL BERGEN/AFP via Getty Images – North Sea Jazz Festival 2019:
US singer Gladys Knight performs on stage on the last day of the North Sea Jazz festival in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, July 14, 2019.
Meanwhile in the Netherlands, North Sea Jazz Festival had to cancel for the same reason repeated above: the uncertainties surrounding the Dutch government’s plans of reopening the country.
“Although there are plenty of favorable developments in the field of vaccinations and rapid tests, too many uncertainties remain,” a statement from the promoters reads.
With all of the festivals mentioned relying heavily on international artists, it is near impossible to plan ahead adequately. Said North Sea Jazz Festival director Jan Willem Luyken: “No North Sea Jazz for two years in a row is a bitter pill for everyone: audience, artists, suppliers, crew, partners and the organization itself. But it is the right decision.”
His team had been looking into alternative ways of organizing the event, including an edition in the fall. They involved the audience in the decision asking it to take part in a survey about their preferences in case a July edition was not possible.
According to Luyken, “an overwhelming majority expressed their preference for moving to 2022. That is what we are now fully committed to.”
The new dates for North Sea Jazz Festival, which takes place at the Ahoy Rotterdam, are July 8-10, 2022.