UK's Glastonbury Festival is the latest in a series of major music events being cancelled in light of the coronavirus concerns. 

Festival organisers Michael Eavis and Emily Eavis announced the cancellation on Wednesday (18/03), expressing that this was the only "viable option" given the current circumstances. 

"We very much hope that the situation in the UK will have improved enormously by the end of June. But even if it has, we are no longer able to spend the next three months with thousands of crew here on the farm, helping us with the enormous job of building the infrastructure and attractions needed to welcome more than 200,000 people to a temporary city in these fields," they explained.

Patrons who have already purchased tickets are given the option to roll their £50 deposit over to next year, which would guarantee the opportunity to secure a ticket for Glastonbury 2021. Those seeking refunds can contact See Tickets. More information is expected to be released on their website in the coming days. 

"The cancellation of this year's Festival will no doubt come as a terrible blow to our incredible crew and volunteers who work so hard to make this event happen," they added. "We were so looking forward to welcoming you all for our 50th anniversary with a line-up full of fantastic artists and performers that we were incredibly proud to have booked (...) we look forward to welcoming you back to these fields next year and until then, we send our love and support to all of you."

Read their full statement below. 

Glastonbury 2020 is one of the celebrated cultural events in Europe, and usually takes place over five days to host an array of performing arts, including contemporary music, theatre, circus, and more. Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, and Diana Ross were set to headline the festival this year.  

This announcement follows a chain of event cancellations or postponements as the COVID-19 takes its toll on global communities, leading to major festivals such as Coachella and Head in the Clouds Jakarta being axed.