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Isle Of Wight Festival postpones to September, while Primavera Sound cancels 2021 editions
By Andy Malt | Published on Wednesday 3 March 2021
As the realities of summer COVID-wise begin to become more clear, more changes to this year’s festival season are emerging. The Isle Of Wight Festival has announced that it is shifting its 2021 dates from June to September. Meanwhile, Primavera Sound has announced that its Barcelona and Porto editions will not now take place this year.
The Isle Of Wight Festival was due to be staged from 17-20 Jun, just missing the 21 Jun target that British Prime Minister ‘Boris’ Johnson recently gave as the earliest possible date for largescale events.
In January, organisers said on Twitter that they were “continuing to work behind the scenes to get ready for the Isle of Wight Festival this summer”. And that is still technically true, as its new dates of 16-19 Sep just fall within the summer months.
“The Isle of Wight Festival is a summer staple and two years without being together on the island is too long”, says a statement. “That’s why we’re so excited to announce that we’re moving the festival to 16-19 Sep 2021”.
“We’re THRILLED to be able to welcome everyone to the island in September”, it goes on. “We’re aiming to bring back as many of the artists as we can, but whatever happens, rest assured, you’ll enjoy a stellar line-up over the festival weekend. It will be the perfect place to see out the summer in spectacular fashion”.
Headliners for the June event included Lewis Capaldi, Lionel Richie, Snow Patrol and Duran Duran. It’s not yet clear how many acts will move to the new dates, but tickets are on sale now. Existing tickets will remain valid.
Primavera Sound, meanwhile, has said that it will not go ahead in Barcelona on 2-6 June or Porto on 10-12 Jun, as had been planned, due to “uncertainty surrounding the legal framework for large events”. However, its music industry conference Primavera Pro will hold a “hybrid event”, taking place in person and online, from 2-4 Jun.
“We have reached this painful decision [to cancel] due to the uncertainty surrounding the legal framework for large events on the original dates of the festival, which, added to the restrictions that currently exist, mean that we cannot work normally on the preparation of the festival nor ensure that, once the date arrives, it can be celebrated”, say organisers in a statement. “Although it is painful, we know that this is the right decision, especially for those of you who have to plan your trip in advance”.
On the efforts the event made to try to go ahead, the statement goes on: “We have left no stone unturned: we led the clinical trial [for a full capacity show amid COVID] carried out at the Apolo in Barcelona last December and we have been in constant contact with the health authorities to explore all possible solutions. But the 20th anniversary of Primavera Sound deserves a party like the ones we are used to, and the global situation does not seem favourable to allowing something like this to happen this summer. At least not in a way in which we can live the full Primavera Sound experience”.
Tickets already purchased for 2021 can be carried over to 2022. Refunds will also be available to those who want them in early June, when the 2022 line-ups will be revealed.
