“This has been an incredibly difficult decision, and it is not one any of us wanted to make,” said Cllr Anna Smith, Executive Councillor for Communities. “The Festival is an enormous undertaking, bringing together scores of artists, hundreds of staff, and thousands of music lovers from around the country and beyond, which we are not currently able to guarantee can be delivered safely. Our first responsibility must be the well-being of the people we serve – both our festival-goers and our local residents.” “Despite the government roadmap out of lockdown, a great deal of uncertainty remains over how large-scale summer events would work,” Cllr Smith continued. “We still don’t know whether artists will be able to travel internationally and what steps organisers would be required to take to keep the public safe. With summer and the need to make binding contractual commitments fast approaching, we couldn’t delay a decision any longer. We are all so upset that we can’t have the Festival this summer, but we look forward to being together again in person in 2022.”