As the coronavirus continues to spread, the live music industry has taken a major hit. Nearly every summer festival and concert tour have been postponed or canceled entirely. Now, Chicago’s Pitchfork Music Festival is following suit and has decided to cancel its 2020 iteration.
This summer, the festival was supposed to be celebrating its 15th year running. Slated for the weekend of July 17, the festival’s lineup had boasted headliners ranging from nostalgia acts like The Yeah Yeah Yeahs to big-name artists like Angel Olsen, Run The Jewels, Big Thief, Sharon Van Etten, and more.
Pitchfork’s decision to cancel arrived a day following Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker announced the state’s plan to re-open. Large-scale events and gatherings of more than 50 people won’t be permitted until there is “a vaccine or highly effective treatment widely available or the elimination of any new cases.”
In a statement, the festival detailed their decision and urged music lovers to stay safe:
We’re heartbroken to announce the cancellation of Pitchfork Music Festival 2020, due to COVID-19. Ticketholders will be contacted directly via email with full refund options; thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as we work through all of this.
It can be pretty daunting to think about the future of live music right now, but know that we are fully committed to bringing Pitchfork Music Festival back in 2021, if the public health situation allows for it. In the meantime, we urge everyone to follow local health department guidelines. We are in this together, and, if we all do our part, we’ll celebrate next year in person.
In the meantime, we have plans for more livestreams, and more ways to use the full weight of Pitchfork to support musicians and the community around our festival. We’re not going anywhere—stay tuned, stay positive, and see you soon.
Read Pitchfork’s full statement above and revisit Uproxx’s review of last year’s iteration here.
