“Business As Usual”: Bluesfest Will Go Ahead Despite Coronavirus Fears
"Bluesfest has always, and will always take the necessary actions to protect our patrons."
Bluesfest organisers have confirmed that the festival will go ahead, despite growing fears about the spread of the coronavirus.
Over the last few weeks, a number of key events on the international music calendar have been cancelled over coronavirus fears. SXSW was axed last week, and rumours have swirled about the uncertain future of Coachella 2020.
The illness poses a two-fold threat for festival organisers. First, any large-scale gathering of people — particularly international travellers — is risky. Secondly, stricter borders during an outbreak of illness can lead some musicians to worry about travelling too far afield, lest they get caught in another country.
However, at this stage, Bluesfest organisers have said that they are on top of the outbreak enough to continue with the dates as planned. “Bluesfest has always, and will always take the necessary actions to protect our patrons,” reads a statement given to Music Junkee.
“All events of a public nature in Australia are proceeding in the Entertainment and Sporting areas, and we look forward to presenting our best Bluesfest yet. It’s business as usual. We are a fully insured event, and our customers are protected should anything change.”
The press release also repeats the government’s health instructions on coronavirus — namely that maintaining good hygiene practices, particularly the regular washing of one’s hands, will help slow the spread.
Bluesfest will go down on Thursday 9 April and run through to 14 April. For more details and the full line-up, head to the Bluesfest website.
Photo Credit: Tao Jones/Bluesfest