TGE 2020 cancels as Covid-19 takes toll on conference season

The 15th edition of the Great Escape (TGE) will not take place this year, becoming the latest industry conference to be cancelled or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The showcase festival and conference was set to take place from 13 to 16 May in venues across the UK seaside city of Brighton.

“We’ve not taken this decision lightly. Taking into account that we are only a few weeks out from the event, and the current status of things, this was the best decision for fans, artists, staff and the community,” reads a TGE press statement.

“The entire TGE family is so disappointed to have to make this decision and we extend our apologies to everyone who was looking forward to it as much as us.”

The Great Escape will return from 12 to 15 May 2021 for a belated 15th anniversary event.

TGE is the latest in a long list of industry events affected by the continuing spread of Covid-19, following on from the cancellation of South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, earlier this month.

The Ticketing Professionals Conference 2020, scheduled for the 25 to 27 March at the Vox Centre in Birmingham, UK, was cancelled last week. The conference will take place at the same venue from 24 to 26 March 2021.

“The entire TGE family is so disappointed to have to make this decision and we extend our apologies to everyone who was looking forward to it as much as us”

Other conferences have announced postponements in recent weeks. Scotland’s Wide Days conference, set to take place in Edinburgh on 23 to 25 April, has moved to 23 to 25 July, following advice from the World Health Organisation and the UK government.

Fellow UK conferences Liverpool Sound City, Brighton Music Conference and the Stadium Business Summit have also rescheduled, moving to dates in September, with Focus Wales taking place in October.

In Europe, Estonia’s Tallinn Music Week, scheduled for the end of this week, is now taking place from 26 to 30 August, “due to risk related to the spread of the Covid-19 virus”.

Canadian Music Week has also been postponed, with the festival now taking place from 8 to 13 September and conference programme running from 9 to 11 September.

Other industry events taking place as usual this autumn include Reeperbahn Festival (16 to 19 September), MAMA Festival and Convention (14 to 16 October), Amsterdam Dance Event (21 to 25 October) and the International Festival Forum (IFF) will take place as usual from 22 to 24 September across venues in Camden, north London.

Last year’s event saw performances from the Darkness, Squid, Charlotte and Sports Team, as well as a keynote interview from Live Nation Belgium/Rock Werchter CEO Herman Schueremans.

Has your conference been affected by the impact of Covid-19? Email [email protected] to keep us updated.

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