The Gilbert & Sullivan Festival announces cancellation

The much loved International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival has announced the festival will be cancelled, due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Taking place in Buxton and Harrogate in what would be its 27th year in 2020, the organisers said, “we are devastated and disappointed, but the well-being of our audience, the theatre staff, our volunteers and all the artists involved is our primary concern.  We cannot risk putting anyone in danger and we have no idea what the coming months will bring.”

“It is particularly poignant that the first G&S Festival following Ian Smith’s passing last year will be the first to be cancelled in our history. We were determined to make Ian’s final programme the very best Festival ever, dedicated to his memory!”

The festival has never received public funding and relies solely on ticket sales and donations from the ‘Friends of the Festival’ Charity to survive. The organisers say they are determined to the festival will continue into 2021 and have launched a fund raising campaign. “It is becoming increasingly likely that we will not be able to access the Arts Council emergency fund because we have never had funding from them before.  We are going to appeal and we are also exploring each and every avenue to get us through this difficult period.  We promise we will not give up!”.

Anyone who purchased tickets via Buxton Opera House will be contacted in due course. If you are able to convert all or part of what you have paid for your tickets into a donation, you will be a G&S Festival Hero! If you are a UK tax payer we can also claim Gift Aid on your donation increasing the value by 25%. Or, if you cannot donate the full amount, please consider taking vouchers to use for next year’s Festival.

Tickets purchased directly via the festival, please visit the their website for further information: gsfestivals.org/i-am-a-festival-hero