Glastonbury 2020 cancellation: Refunds, resales, deposits, line-up and more

21 March 2020, 12:00 | Updated: 23 March 2020, 11:33

This week saw the Somerset festival announce it would postpone until 2021. Here's everything you need to know about it from refunds to deposits.

Glastonbury Festival organisers announced this week that its 50th anniversary would be cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

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A statement from festival founder Michael Eavis and his festival organiser daughter Emily read: "We are so sorry to announce this, but Glastonbury 2020 will have to be cancelled, and this will be an enforced fallow year for the Festival.

"Clearly this was not a course of action we hoped to take for our 50th anniversary event, but following the new government measures announced this week – and in times of such unprecedented uncertainty – this is now our only viable option."

They added: "We very much hope that the situation in the UK will have improved enormously by the end of June. But even if it has, we are no longer able to spend the next three months with thousands of crew here on the farm, helping us with the enormous job of building the infrastructure and attractions needed to welcome more than 200,000 people to a temporary city in these fields.

"We would like to send our sincere apologies to the 135,000 people who have already paid a deposit for a Glastonbury 2020 ticket."

Read Glastonbury's full statement here.

But what does this mean for people who bought a ticket and want a refund, for those who intend to keep their ticket and for anyone who was planning to try and buy one in the April resale?

Find out the answer to these questions and more.

Why can't Glastonbury Festival take place even though it's not until June?

Festival organisers have explained that the festival was cancelled because of the uncertainty surrounding coronavirus.

Although it doesn't take place until June, they wanted to make a "firm decision" on the event before the full balance payments were due ahead of the April resale.

As explained in their statement, 2020 now acts as a "fallow year".

Can you get a refund for your £50 deposit if you can't or don't want to attend in 2021?

Yes, Glastonbury have said that people who want a refund can secure one from See Tickets "in the coming days".

Would-be festival goers will be able to secure a refund until September 2020.

What about coach packages and official accommodation? Will they be refunded?

It's not yet clear if coach packages and accommodation packages will be refunded yet.

What if you want to attend Glastonbury 2021?

If you secured a deposit for Glastonbury 2020, it will automatically be rolled over for the festival in 2021.

Does the same go for coach packages and official accommodation bookings?

The festival has vowed to add more information to their website about rolling over transport and accommodation packages in the coming days.

What if you wanted to try for the 2020 resale? Will there be a chance to buy tickets for a 2021 resale?

Details of a new resale for 2021 have yet to be announced, but it is likely that once all the refunds are processed up until September 2020, there will be a chance for people to buy these refunded tickets in the resale.

Will the Glastonbury 2021 line-up and its headliners be the same?

Kendrick Lamar, Paul McCartney and Taylor Swift were set to headline the festival this year, along with the likes of Diana Ross, Sam Fender, Noel Gallagher and Lana Del Rey.

It's likely that each act's availability will be determined by their own tour schedules and individual commitments, which could be planned over two years in advance.

The coronavirus pandemic and its affect on live gigs and festivals is truly un-chartered territory, so it is impossible to know what will happen until people have returned to living 'normal' lives and artists are able to resume their normal schedules.

https://www.nhs.uk/coronavirus

Coronavirus: Festivals and gigs cancelled and affected due to the pandemic