Board decides to cancel this year's Cork International Choral Festival
This year's Cork International Choral Festival has been cancelled.
This year was the 66th festival and it was scheduled to take place from April 29 to May 3, but it has now been cancelled because of the Covid-19 virus.
The festival board said it came to the decision "with considerable regret" since it will impact more than 5,000 choir members who would have taken part in the festival, 800 of whom were travelling from abroad.
The board said in a statement: "These choirs have been involved in a year-long process of planning and preparation with the festival, and we are particularly conscious of the large financial implications for the foreign choristers who were travelling to the Festival from Canada, Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Sweden and USA.
"The Board is particularly aware of the major effect this cancellation will have on the cultural, economic and social life of the city.
"The Board wishes to acknowledge the huge commitment given by its professional administrative and voluntary support teams who have worked so diligently since last year to ensure that this year’s event would have been a Festival of memorable quality.
"Finally, the Board wishes to thank all those groups who have financially supported the planning of this year’s event."
Meanwhile, MCD Productions has said it is working with artists and venues to reschedule dates for all events cancelled until Sunday, March 29.
MCD said all tickets for the affected events, such as Aslan at the Olympia and the Who at 3Arena, will be valid for the rescheduled dates.
