Tomorrowland Winter Canceled — On Orders From the French Government

Photo Credit: EyoBr / CC by 4.0

Tomorrowland Winter is canceled this year amid rising coronavirus concerns. The order came from the French government itself.

Organizers for the festival posted on its official Facebook page to make the announcement. “The French government is taking drastic measures regarding the COVID-19 virus in France. Therefore they are enforcing the cancellation of large events, bringing together people from different nationalities on closed festival grounds and event locations,” the post reads.

A string of festivals are canceling plans to go forward entirely, or they are postponing to a later date.

Mariah Carey canceled an upcoming appearance in Honolulu, and just yesterday, Ultra Miami canceled. Ultra Miami’s cancellation especially stings – it’s the first time since the festival started that it won’t take place. SXSW is still continuing, though multiple exhibitors like Apple have pulled out.

Several concerts in the Middle East are postponing until November amid coronavirus concerns.

The Tomorrowland festival is in Alpe d’Huez and this year’s festival sold out with 25,000 expected attendees. For attendees looking for refunds, Tomorrowland organizers say check your emails. Tomorrowland accounts will have the next steps for claiming refunds over the next few days.

The economic impact of coronavirus on the global economy is going to be huge. Festivals, conferences, and large gatherings are announcing cancellations through June. Google canceled its conference this year – it will telecast the presentation instead. Rumors suggest Apple is making changes to its WWDC show, including nixing a product launch.

Game conferences like GDC in San Francisco and E3 in Los Angeles are on the chopping block. Health officials warn that the virus spreads from person-to-person contact. Large events where people gather are a hotbed for spreading the virus globally.

At the time of writing, the situation is escalating quickly in France. French President Emmanuel Macron said more coronavirus cases are ‘inevitable’ in his country. He announced confirmed cases climbed to 423 this morning – with three more coronavirus-related deaths. The total death toll for France is seven.