AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin City Limits Music Festival has been canceled for 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, organizers wrote in a release Wednesday.
“We would have loved to put on another memorable show this year, however, with the uncertainty surrounding the current situation in Texas, this decision is the only responsible solution,” it wrote. “The health and safety of our fans, artists, partners, staff and the entire Austin community remains our highest priority.”
ACL Fest says it will return to Zilker Park during two weekends in October 2021, which will coincide with its 20th-anniversary celebration.
It says those who already bought tickets for this year should hold on to them “to lock in access to next year’s festival at 2019 prices,” or they can get a refund. It says current ticket holders should receive an email with guidance.
According to a study last year, between 2006 and 2016 the festival brought almost $1.5 billion to Austin’s economy.
ACL Fest is among a number of large-scale events canceled in the past few months, or pre-emptively, because of the pandemic. In early March, Austin’s other famous festival, South by Southwest, was canceled. Austin had its first reported cases of the coronavirus March 13 — the day SXSW was set to begin.