Here at Time Out, we’re all about helping you experience the best of the city. At the same time, organisers of large-scale events in London are currently taking appropriate precautions following the Government’s call to stop all social gatherings due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The Government has placed a ban on public gatherings of more than two people, meaning London events, gigs, club nights, festivals, theatre shows, art exhibitions and film screenings have postponed or even cancelled their plans to ensure event-goer safety and to do their bit to limit the spread of COVID-19 in London and the UK.
To help keep you up to date, we’ve collated a list of all the major event cancellations related to the coronavirus in London. We’ll be updating this list continually as new announcements break. And you can also find our current advice on how to get a refund if a gig, festival or other UK event is cancelled due to coronavirus.
Wimbledon, one of London’s biggest and most exciting sporting events, has been cancelled this year for the first time since World War II. The annual tournament was due to be played between June 29 and July 12. It follows other professional competitions, with no tennis due to be played anywhere in the world until at least July 13.
Europe’s biggest street party has been cancelled for the first time ever. Organisers of the bank holiday parade, announced the event, due to take place on Sunday August 30 and Monday August 31, will no longer be going ahead. It’s the first time the event has been cancelled in its 54-year history. The organisers also confirmed Panorama, the annual steel band competition, will also be cancelled. However, it’s been suggested an alternative virtual Carnival may be on the cards.
The organisers of the London Marathon announced that this year’s running extravaganza will be postponed until Sunday October 4. In a statement, organisers said they will email runners, charities, and other people involved in the event today with any developments.
Extinction Rebellion have decided to cancel their next peaceful mass action in the capital. The action was due to take place on Saturday May 23. Keep an eye on their social media channels for future announcements.
As a precautionary measure, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter will be temporarily closing from 8pm on Monday March 16. Keep an eye on their social channels for further updates.
The annual Record Store Day has been postponed until June 20. The event aims to celebrate independent record shops across the world. In a statement the organisers of the UK event said: ‘Given the challenges now facing the independent record store community, we urge music fans to continue to support their local record shop in whatever way they can to see us through what is about to become a very challenging time.’
Pride in London’s organisers announced the Pride parade and associated events have been postponed. It was scheduled to take place on Saturday June 27 and would have been the 48th London Pride parade. Keep an eye on their social channels for a new date.
The London Coffee Festival will be postponed until July as a precaution, with all bookings transferring to the new date. A statement posted to Instagram by coffee enterprise Socratic Coffee says: ‘We have taken the difficult decision to postpone the London Coffee Festival 2020 to 23-26 July.’
London’s coolest natural wine convention has had to put its vinous plans on hold. Organisers said: ‘It is now clear the majority of our community want the show, but they do not want it now,’ as well as stating intentions to provide a new date for London 2020 in the coming weeks. Wine lovers, we’ll keep you updated.
London’s biggest LGBTQ+ Film Festival has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Sharing news of the cancellation on Monday 16 March the organisers said: ‘BFI Flare is a very special and longstanding festival close to us all and we know how deeply disappointing this decision is.’ Ticket holders will be contacted as soon as possible with options on refunds, and the BFI have requested that they refrain from getting in touch individually. The organisers are also working on ‘an enticing online offer for BFI Flare audiences.’
London’s first-ever Muslim Pride was due to take place on Saturday April 11. The organisers announced on twitter that the event has been postponed until Saturday December 12 2020. Tickets bought for the original date are valid but refunds are available for those who can no longer attend.
The celebration of drag, theatre and filthy cult films has made the decision to cancel all events. The event’s creative director announced on Facebook: 'Dear friends and allies, it’s with great sadness – but probably little surprise – that we let you know that And What? Queer Arts Festival has officially been cancelled. If you have bought tickets for events venues will be contacting you directly, often with the option of donating your ticket costs to the artists or venue itself to support the cultural sector in these difficult days, we will NOT be taking a cut of this, please consider donating, if you can. Some events will offer credit notes and although we say 'cancelled' we really hope that much of the programme is just 'delayed' or 'postponed'. We WILL be back.’
The London Book Fair has been cancelled after major book publishers pulled out of the event. A statement from organisers Reed Exhibitions said it was cancelling following ‘the escalation of Covid-19 coronavirus in Europe’.
If you’ve caught the news recently, you’re probably wondering whether coronavirus is going to shake up your day-to-day life. So far the virus has spread across six continents, and it seems inevitable the threat will increase across the UK, the US and Australia over the coming weeks. We’ve put together this handy FAQ to bring you some help, tips and perspective.
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