photo: Alex Zamora
The famed New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (Jazz Fest) has been postponed because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Jazz Fest organizers revealed the postponement in a recent social media post. The message cited the preferences and warnings of New Orleans’ authorities, as well as “ongoing COVID-19 health concerns,” as the reasons for the delay. Jazz Fest was initially expected to take place between April 23rd and May 3rd; the 10-day festival is now slated to occur in the fall, though an exact date hasn’t yet been provided.
Already-purchased Jazz Fest tickets will be honored at the rescheduled event, and the statement made no mention of refunds.
In a testament to the perceived gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic, this is the first time Jazz Fest has been postponed in its 51-year history. Generally speaking, Twitter users appeared to be disappointed by the news. However, numerous messages criticized Jazz Fest’s handling of refunds—or the lack thereof.
One concerned fan wrote: “As you can see, we all want to know about refunds.” Another individual politely requested some sort of input pertaining to Jazz Fest’s refund plans: “Trust me, I hate this…and hate to be ‘this guy,’ but I am assuming I am not the only one, so please give instructions as to refunds. Thanks.”
A multitude of concerts, music festivals, and industry functions have been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, and fans have had difficulty receiving refunds for several of these events.
Ultra Miami and SXSW, for instance, have simply transferred existing tickets to next year’s editions. But the situation isn’t as clear-cut as some have made it out to be. The economic impact of the coronavirus is undoubtedly affecting individuals, but businesses and especially annual events are also feeling the pinch.
This afternoon, Italy announced plans to deploy approximately 10,000 medical students into the field in an effort to treat and assist as many COVID-19 sufferers as possible. Domestically, President Trump stated that all Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) foreclosure and eviction notices will be withheld until at least May.
Additionally, Amazon froze CD and vinyl mass-orders to prioritize distributing food and medical supplies.