COVID-19 has now become a global issue and is affecting a vast majority of countries. In light of government guidelines and advice to self-isolate, several major sporting events and festivals have either been cancelled or postponed, leaving many customers with questions about their tickets, and whether or not they are entitled to a refund. If an event you were due to attend has been cancelled or postponed due to the coronavirus, read below to find out more information regarding refunds and rescheduled dates.
Can I get a refund if I purchased my ticket form the official seller?
In most cases, you should be entitled to a refund – provided you purchased your ticket from the official seller. It is worth bearing in mind, that it’s not likely you’ll be reimbursed for costs including postage and booking fees unless you have additional insurance to cover these.
What if I bought my ticket through a ticket-reselling website?
This will depend entirely on the ticket-resellers terms and conditions. Some companies may reimburse you the costs as a gesture of goodwill; however, this is not guaranteed, so we would advise you to speak to the ticket-reselling company directly, to see what their stance on this would be.
That being said, you should be entitled to compensation if you are unable to attend the proposed or rescheduled dates.
Which events have been cancelled so far?
Glastonbury, Somerset
The festival was set to celebrate its 50th anniversary from 24th-28th June 2020 but has now been cancelled as a result of COVID-19. The announcement was made via its twitter page stating: ‘We are so sorry to announce this, but we are going to have to cancel Glastonbury 2020. Tickets for this year will roll over to next year.’ Those who purchased a £50 deposit in advance have been told it will still be valid next year when they will be able to purchase a ticket for Glastonbury 2021. Customers can also choose to apply for a refund if they no longer wish to attend.
Euro 2020, Across Europe
The tournament was due to take place from 12th June – 12th July 2020 has also been postponed, discussions are taking place to reschedule the tournament to 11th June – 11th July in 2021 however, this is yet to be confirmed. UEFA has said ‘the move will help all domestic competitions which currently on hold due to the COVID-19 emergency to be completed.’
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, United States
The JazzFest that was scheduled to take place from 23rd April – 3rd May 2020 will now be taking place in Autumn, and customers are being told that ‘all purchases for the original dates will be honoured for the fall dates.’ The decision was made in response to ongoing coronavirus health concerns. For more information regarding refunds, customers should check the Jazz and Heritage Festival for regular updates.
The Tribeca Film Festival, New York
With almost 2,000 coronavirus cases in New York, the Tribeca Film Festival, which was set to go ahead from 15th -26th April 2020, has now been postponed. Government guidelines are now prohibiting gatherings of more than 500 people in response to government guidelines. Information about ticket refunds can be found on the Tribeca Film website.
Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, Florida
The famous resort for adults and children alike will be closed from 16th March until at least the 31st of March 2020. A Walt Disney update states the time period will give ‘guests the ability to make other arrangements.’ The resort has said that all those with tickets for the affected dates may be able to use them at ‘any date through December 15th 2020’, while those who that are unable to visit in that time ‘may apply the value of a wholly unused ticket toward the purchase of a ticket for a future date.’
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The popular ‘Instagrammable’ festival, which was due to take place in April 2020, has now been rescheduled to take place from 9th-18th October 2020. According to the Coachella website, tickets will be honoured for the October dates, and those customers who wish to apply for a refund would have been notified on the process on 13th March 2020.
London Marathon
More than 42,000 people were expected to take part in the London Marathon, which was scheduled to take place on 26th April 2020. However, as with many other major sporting events, the event has been postponed until 4th October 2020 following government guidelines.
