Pharrell Williams - Something In The Water 2020 Lineup

Jay-Z and Pharrell Williams perform at Something In The Water in 2019

Photo: Brian Ach/Getty Images

News

Pharrell Williams' 2020 Something In The Water Festival Canceled Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Facebook Twitter Email
This year's edition, which was to originally feature major acts like A$AP Rocky, Migos, Beck and others, would have marked the event's second annual installment
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
Mar 14, 2020 - 9:04 am

After announcing its return last December, Pharrell Williams' Something In The Water (SITW) festival has canceled its 2020 edition amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

In a post shared on the festival's official website and social media accounts, organizers announced they are postponing the event to next April. The announcement comes "after much consideration" and "in partnership with the City of Virginia Beach," where the event was originally set to take place next month. 

"Please use this time to keep building, creating, and progressing," the post reads. "The SITW team certainly will. There are a number of timely community-centric displays of goodwill that we are working hard to ensure still happen this April - things like the planting of a new school garden, public art, SITW Restaurant Week and more."

While the post does not specifically cite the coronavirus pandemic as the reasoning behind the festival cancellation, Rolling Stone is reporting the event "has been canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak." 

Read: How The Global Coronavirus Pandemic Is Directly Impacting Songwriters, Musicians And Artists

This year's edition, which was to feature expanded programming and extra festival dates, would have marked the event's second annual installment after its inaugural run last April. The lineup for the 2020 iteration was to feature A$AP Rocky, Migos, Beck, Foo Fighters, Brittany Howard and Major Lazer, in additional to multiple artists with whom Williams has collaborated throughout the years. The festival has not yet announced any potential lineup changes or artist cancellations due to the postponement.

Tickets purchased for the 2020 edition will be honored for the rescheduled dates next year. Refunds will be available via the festival's website after March 20. 

Something In The Water is the latest festival to postpone or cancel their 2020 edition due to the global coronavirus pandemic. This month alone, Coachella and Stagecoach, Ultra Music Festival, SXSW, Lollapalooza Argentina, Treefort Music Fest, Afro Nation Puerto Rico, Brussels' Listen! Festival, Record Store Day and several other major events and festivals were called off or rescheduled due to the coronavirus. 

Going Viral: The Music Industry Grapples With The Worldwide Coronavirus Outbreak

Crowd shot at Primavera Sound Barcelona 2019

Crowd shot at Primavera Sound Barcelona 2019

Photo: Xavi Torrent/WireImage

News

Primavera Sound Barcelona 2021: Bad Bunny, Charli XCX, Tyler, The Creator, The Strokes, FKA twigs And More Confirmed

Facebook Twitter Email
Following a recent postponement, the celebrated Spanish festival has announced the first 100 artists for its 20th anniversary next June
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
May 27, 2020 - 1:24 pm

After its 2020 edition was postponed to next year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Primavera Sound Barcelona has today (May 27) announced the first 100 artists confirmed for its 2021 installment. The initial lineup features "a majority of artists who reconfirm their presence at the festival," according to a blog post shared on the event's official website announcing the 2021 artist roster, including Bad Bunny, Tyler, The Creator, The Strokes, Pavement, Bikini Kill and several other previously announced artists. Newly added artists include Charli XCX, Tame Impala, Gorillaz, FKA twigs, Jamie xx and Jorja Smith, among many others.

The five-day festival, now taking place June 2-6, 2021, in Barcelona, Spain, was originally scheduled to celebrate its 20-year anniversary next month (June 3-7). In late March, the festival was postponed to August due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this month (May 11), Primavera Sound Barcelona 2020 was ultimately postponed to next year, with the festival citing force majeure. The festival will now celebrate its 20th anniversary during the newly rescheduled dates in June 2021. 

More artists, including acts confirmed for the original 2020 lineup and new additions, will be announced over the next few months, according to the Primavera Sound Barcelona website. 

In the blog post, festival organizers addressed the impact the coronavirus pandemic has made on Primavera Sound Barcelona and the "hard times" it has caused for everyone involved.

"The entire Primavera Sound Barcelona team would like to acknowledge that we really appreciate all the messages of support, for the understanding and encouragement that we have received over the past few weeks," the post reads. "These are hard times for everyone and to feel that so many people are looking forward to collective events like our festival pushes us to work with more passion than ever …

"Whoever said that the second chances are never good did not imagine that we would experience something like what is happening this 2020. With the whole world on pause due to the evolution of the global pandemic and with the live music sector holding its breath facing a summer without festivals, we can only look forward: towards 2021, specifically, the year in which we are going to recover everything that will be pending from 2020."

Read: Recording Academy And MusiCares Establish COVID-19 Relief Fund

The 2021 installment of Primavera Sound Barcelona will debut Brunch -On The Beach, a brand-new closing party on the beach. The inaugural event, which was originally announced for the 2020 iteration of the festival this past February, will now take place Sunday, June 6, 2021, and will feature DJ sets from Disclosure, Nina Kraviz, Amelie Lens and Black Coffee. 

Tickets for Primavera Sound Barcelona 2021 will go on sale June 3 at 6 a.m. EST/noon CEST. All tickets purchased for the 2020 festival are valid for the 2021 edition. That same day, the festival will begin to offer exchanges and refunds for those who purchased tickets for the 2020 festival. 

To view the full lineup and to purchase tickets for Primavera Sound Barcelona 2021, visit the festival's official website. 

All Points East Festival Launches "Ten Days Of All Points East" Content Hub

Taboo (L) and Will.I.Am (R) of The Black Eyed Peas perform in 2019

Taboo (L) and Will.I.Am (R) of The Black Eyed Peas perform in 2019

Photo: Sam Tabone/WireImage

News

Japan's Supersonic 2020: Black Eyed Peas, Steve Aoki, Clean Bandit, Asian Kung-Fu Generation And More Confirmed

Facebook Twitter Email
The festival announced the lineup additions during the coronavirus pandemic, noting, "Under these difficult circumstances, the entire Supersonic staff is working to welcome the audience in the best form possible this fall"
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
May 20, 2020 - 9:43 am

Supersonic, the new multi-day, multi-city Japanese music festival, has unveiled its second artist lineup announcement for its first-ever edition this fall. The three-day event, taking place Sept. 19-21 in Tokyo and Osaka, has confirmed additional artists Black Eyed Peas, Steve Aoki, Clean Bandit and others. The festival has also added local Japanese artists including Asian Kung-Fu Generation, one of Japan's leading rock bands, Nulbarich, BiSH, chelmico and several others. 

They join headliners and other confirmed acts like Post Malone, The 1975, Skrillex, Wu-Tang Clan, Liam Gallagher, Fatboy Slim and Kygo, who were previously announced in early April.

The lineup news comes as the coronavirus pandemic has decimated the festival and live music industry since mid-March, essentially shutting down the global concert business. At the time of this writing, Japan has more than 17,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and 778 coronavirus-related deaths, according to The New York Times. In early April, the country declared a state of emergency and this week fell into a recession for the first time since 2015, The New York Times reports.

Read: Recording Academy And MusiCares Establish COVID-19 Relief Fund

In a blog post shared on the festival's website announcing the lineup additions, organizers addressed the "difficult circumstances" the COVID-19 pandemic has caused.

"Under these difficult circumstances, the entire Supersonic staff is working to welcome the audience in the best form possible this fall while exploring a new form for the festival from now on," the post reads. "We thank you for your understanding and cooperation."

Supersonic is produced by the team behind Summer Sonic, one of Japan's biggest music festivals that's held annually over the summer in Tokyo and Osaka. Festival organizers postponed this year's installment of Summer Sonic to 2021 due to the 2020 Summer Olympics and Summer Paralympics, which were originally scheduled to take place in Tokyo this summer before the global sporting event itself was also postponed to next year, and instead introduced Supersonic for this year only, Japan Web Magazine reports.

Last August, Summer Sonic celebrated its 20-year anniversary with a lineup that featured Red Hot Chili Peppers, BLACKPINK, The Chainsmokers, Weezer and more. Attracting 135,000 visitors over three days, Summer Sonic become Japan's biggest outdoor music festival last year, IQ reports.

How Will Coronavirus Shift Electronic Music? Maceo Plex, Paul Van Dyk, Luttrell, Mikey Lion & DJ Manager Max Leader Weigh In

Crowd shot at WOMAD Festival 2017

Crowd shot at WOMAD Festival 2017

Photo: C Brandon/Redferns

News

Peter Gabriel's WOMAD Festival 2020 Canceled Due To Coronavirus Pandemic

Facebook Twitter Email
In a statement, Gabriel said many of the artists originally confirmed for this year's festival "have already offered, or agreed," to return for 2021
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
Apr 8, 2020 - 9:35 am

WOMAD (World Of Music, Arts And Dance) festival, the international music and arts festival from Genesis founding member Peter Gabriel and others, has canceled its 2020 edition in the U.K. due to the growing coronavirus pandemic. Originally scheduled to take place July 23-26 at Charlton Park in Wiltshire, England, the festival, which featured headliners The Flaming Lips, Angélique Kidjo, Kate Tempest and Fatoumata Diawara, among many others, is confirmed to return next year (July 22-25), according to the updated dates on the event's official website. 

Festival organizers announced the event's cancellation via statements from Gabriel and the WOMAD team, both shared on the festival's official website and social media accounts today (April 8). In his statement, Gabriel said many of the artists originally confirmed for this year's festival "have already offered, or agreed," to return for 2021.

"Like many others, we have been hoping, waiting and watching the Coronavirus situation," Gabriel wrote. "Finally, we have been told that we will not be allowed to hold WOMAD this year at Charlton Park.

"Safety for all of our festivalgoers, artists and our own staff surpasses everything.

All of us involved with WOMAD have already been really touched by the help and generous offers of many of those we depend on to make the festival come to life. Many of the artists have already offered, or agreed, to play for us next year and we will now put our energies into making a great WOMAD 2021."

"We hope to see you all at Charlton Park next year for a big celebration, when we've put this meanie back in the bottle," he continued, alluding to the festival's return in 2021. "Your love and support for the dream that is WOMAD, has always meant a lot to us, but especially now."

Read: Recording Academy And MusiCares Establish COVID-19 Relief Fund

"Following a meeting with the Licensing authority, the combined emergency services and taking fully into account the government advice on halting the spread of the virus, it is clear, that in order to meet our goal of protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of the whole community there is no way we can go ahead with WOMAD 2020," a statement from the wider WOMAD team read. "We are devastated but confident that this is the right and responsible decision and that we have to play our part in helping the country stay safe and to recover."

For ticket holders for its canceled 2020 U.K. edition, WOMAD is offering a transfer of tickets for the 2021 edition or full refunds. For those who paid for their tickets in installments, the festival is allowing a temporary pause on payments to be picked up again next year for WOMAD 2021 or refunds for the face value of the tickets. More information about ticket transfers and refunds is available on the festival website.

The festival, which originally announced its initial lineup this past February, posted an update about the event's U.K. edition last month (March 19). "At WOMAD we are examining the advice of the government, other authorities and of course the healthcare professionals before making a final decision on what actions we should be taking to lead by example and help to keep everyone in the WOMAD community safe and well," the statement read. 

In February, WOMAD postponed what was to be its first-ever edition in Mexico, originally scheduled for March 27–29, "due to events outside of our control," according to a post shared on the festival's website. While no new dates have been announced, WOMAD Mexico will return "later in the year," the post reads. 

WOMAD has already completed three international festivals in 2020, including installments in Chile in February and in Australia and New Zealand in March. 

WOMAD is the latest festival to be canceled or postponed this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Since March, Governors Ball, Glastonbury, Isle Of Wight, Download, All Points East, Lovebox and Parklife, Bonnaroo, New Orleans Jazz Fest, BottleRock Napa Valley, the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Coachella and Stagecoach, Ultra Music Festival, SXSW, Lollapalooza Argentina, Something In The Water, Treefort Music Fest, Afro Nation Puerto Rico, Brussels' Listen! Festival, Record Store Day and several other major events and festivals around the world were called off or rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MusiCares COVID-19 Fund: MCR's Frank Iero, Rita Wilson & Naughty By Nature, Ellie & Drew Holcomb & More Support With Livestreams & Beyond

Crowd shot at Governors Ball 2019

Crowd shot at Governors Ball 2019

Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

News

Governors Ball 2020 Canceled Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Facebook Twitter Email
The marquee NYC festival, which was to celebrate its 10th annual edition this year, is scheduled to return in June 2021, according to a statement from the festival organizers
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
Mar 27, 2020 - 12:56 pm

Governors Ball, New York City's marquee multi-day, all-genre music festival, has canceled its 2020 edition due to the growing coronavirus pandemic.

Festival organizers announced the event's cancellation in a statement shared on the festival's official website and social media accounts Thursday (March 26). The statement also indicates that Governors Ball will return in June 2021 and that festival organizers are already working on next year's edition.

"Simply put – due to current government mandates and the evolving situation in NYC, it is neither safe nor prudent to move forward with our June dates," the statement read. "The well-being of our fans, artists, staff, vendors, partners, and the surrounding NYC community is always our #1 priority.  

"Over the past few weeks, we have gone to great lengths to find a postponement date that works for all parties involved. Due to a myriad of planning and logistical issues, we have come to the conclusion that there are no sufficient options available to us. We are pushing ahead, and are already jumping into plans for 2021.

"These are crazy and unprecedented times, but New Yorkers are no strangers to challenges. As a city and a community, we will all get through this. New York always does. Now is the time to be smart, look out for one another, and do our part to help the city and the world. We encourage everyone to listen to health officials, be safe, and be excited for the future when we are all on the other side of this."

Governors Ball 2019: Recording Academy On The Road

The festival is offering refunds for festival tickets and transportation passes to customers who purchased them through the Governors Ball ticketing page. They are also offering purchasers the option to transfer their ticket(s) to next year's festival. More information about ticket transfers and refunds is available on the festival website.

Originally scheduled to take place June 5-7 at Randall's Island Park in New York City, the festival, which was to celebrate its 10th annual installment this year, had recently announced its 2020 lineup, which featured headliners Tame Impala, Missy Elliott, Flume and Vampire Weekend, among many other acts.

Read: Recording Academy And MusiCares Establish COVID-19 Relief Fund

Governors Ball is the latest festival to be canceled or postponed this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. This month alone, Glastonbury, Bonnaroo, New Orleans Jazz Fest, BottleRock Napa Valley, the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Coachella and Stagecoach, Ultra Music Festival, SXSW, Lollapalooza Argentina, Something In The Water, Treefort Music Fest, Afro Nation Puerto Rico, Brussels' Listen! Festival, Record Store Day and several other major events and festivals around the world were called off or rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

How Music Is Uniting People During The Coronavirus Quarantine