Sad Summer gives an update on the fate of this year’s festival
In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the live music industry has taken a direct hit with many tours and shows worldwide having to be canceled. Today, Sad Summer Festival which is set to kick off in July with All Time Low, The Story So Far, the Maine and more is addressing ongoing speculation that it may be canceled.
In a statement released today, Sad Summer Festival is discussing fans’ concerns about the fate of the tour, how the tour is following COVID-19 health and safety guidelines and more.
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Back in March, Sad Summer Festival released its first statement regarding COVID-19. Stating that the tour was still scheduled, the statement also acknowledged the fluidity of the coronavirus pandemic.
Today, the festival is continuing to reassure fans about the tour’s fate. Addressing the importance of health and safety, the festival announced that its 2020 run is scheduled to go on as planned. However, they are monitoring the situation and COVID-19 developments each day.
“Because of the rapid evolution of the pandemic timeline, we made a commitment to exercise patience in our decision-making process,” the statement says. “The last thing we would ever want is to make a snap decision that would prove irresponsible just weeks later.”
The festival also acknowledged the impacts coronavirus has had on both fans and those working the festival. Sad Summer Festival is ensuring that they are doing everything they can to support the community during these trying times.
“We know that you may be struggling financially or emotionally or in another way which this new normal in your day-to-day,” the statement says. “The bands, crew and staff of Sad Summer Fest are experiencing the same hardships. We have been trying to use our platform to support the efforts of the artists on our tour in the meantime.”
Alongside this year’s headliners, Movements, Yours Truly, Grayscale and Destroy Boys are also set to play the festival dates this summer. Sad Summer Festival 2020 is the second inaugural run of the cross-country festival. Last year’s successful festival included State Champs, Mayday Parade, the Maine, the Wonder Years, Mom Jeans, Stand Atlantic and Just Friends.
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The full statement from Sad Summer Festival and list of scheduled dates are below.
SSF community,
We’ve received a lot of messages recently expressing concern surrounding Sad Summer 2020, and whether or not the tour will happen as planned. We want you to know that we hear you. We want to be transparent, and provide you with some insight as to what has been going on behind the scenes of the festival.
Six weeks ago, we released a statement surrounding COVID-19 to ensure you knew that the festival takes health and safety very seriously. We have spent every waking moment since then doing our best to assess the impact of COVID-19 on our plans for a touring music festival. We have had countless conversations with all of the artists, crew, local promoters in every city, venues, ticketing companies, and many more people involved in the operations of the tour. That said, there are additional factors beyond our control that we learn about and consider on a daily basis. The reality is that within the last six weeks, this situation has evolved in many ways, and our outlook continues to change almost daily.
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Because of the rapid evolution of the pandemic timeline, we made a commitment to exercise patience in our decision-making process. The last thing we would ever want is to make a snap decision that would prove irresponsible just weeks later. Our promise to you is that we remain committed to prioritizing your safety above all else, and as a result, are constantly re-evaluating what that would look like for this summer.
We empathize with how you’re feeling because we’re feeling it too. We understand that the uncertainty of not knowing what is going to happen is tough. We know that you may be struggling financially or emotionally or in another way with this new normal in your day-to-day. The bands, crew, and staff of Sad Summer Fest are experiencing the same hardships and we have been trying to use our platform to support the efforts of the artists on our tour in the meantime.
It’s been hard to respond to many of your questions on social media recently because we don’t yet have the answers. We intend to finalize our next steps as a festival over the next 10 days, and will at that time be able to answer any and all questions from fans.
Our last message regarding COVID-19 was about hope and positivity during this troubling time for so many of us. We want nothing more than to provide an experience we can all look forward to, but in a safe way. Our goal remains the same. Thank you for putting your trust and patience in us as we wade through these unprecedented times.
Much love,
SSF family
Dates:
07/17 – Sacramento, CA @ Papa Murphy’s Park at Cal Expo
07/18 – Anaheim, CA @ City National Grove of Anaheim – Outdoors
07/19 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rawhide Event Center
07/21 – Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Live!
07/22 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall – Outside Lawn
07/24 – Orlando, FL @ Orlando Amphitheater
07/25 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
07/28 – Columbus, OH @ EXPRESS LIVE!
07/29 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
07/31 – New York, NY @ The Rooftop at Pier 17
08/01 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
08/02 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony Summerstage
08/05 – Toronto, ON @ RBC Echo Beach
08/07 – Baltimore, MD @ MECU Pavilion
08/08 – Philadelphia, PA @ Skyline Stage @ the Mann
08/12 – Chicago, IL @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
08/14 – Pontiac, MI @ Crofoot Ballroom – Outdoors
08/15 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
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