The 2020 Under The Southern Stars music festival has been postponed until next year due to coronavirus concerns.
The travelling festival, whose 2020 bill featured Live, Bush and Stone Temple Pilots, was set for dates in early April across the country. It will now be rescheduled to February and March 2021.
Festival promoter Andrew McManus explained the decision in a statement released this morning.
“In light of the current global health crisis, we feel that it is imperative to protect the Under The Southern Stars family and proceed in a clear and calm manner,” McManus wrote.
“We have been closely monitoring the situation as it develops and following directives from the Chief Medical Officer of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC). With the increase of travel bans and lock downs, in an effort to stop transmission of the virus, and with the safety of our patrons, artists, staff and crew in mind we have no other alternative than to postpone our April 2020 festival tour dates.”
Per McManus’ statement, all tickets already purchased for the festival will be valid for the 2021 dates when they are announced next week.
The event series was set to mark the first time the three bands had played on the same bill in Australia. Bush and Live co-headlined a tour in the US last year, celebrating the 25th anniversaries of their respective albums ‘Sixteen Stone’ and ‘Throwing Copper’. Australian bands Rose Tattoo and Electric Mary were also set to play.
A representative from the festival told NME Australia the bands would only come to Australia with the festival, meaning no individual dates by any of the international acts would be scheduled. NME Australia has reached out for a statement from the acts and will update this story if and when we receive a response.