Coronavirus forces cancellation of 70th Festival - new dates from October

The 70th King’s Lynn Festival, due to have been staged on July 19-August 1, has been cancelled due to coronavirus – but a smaller-scale festival is planned, starting in October.

Festival chairman Alison Croose said: “We are putting together a curtailed programme which we hope will feature some of the big names who were due to appear in Lynn in July. But, clearly, we are having to work on an “all being well basis assuming there are no major setbacks in the coronavirus crisis.

“It is obviously very disappointing that the 70th festival, which we have been planning since May 2019, will not now happen. But it is only one of many, many significant events which are victims of this national crisis,” she said.

Events are being planned around the weekend of October 10-11 and on other dates during the following weeks creating a “festival season”.

“We are talking to pianist and festival vice-president Freddy Kempf, the European Union Chamber Orchestra, the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, Brighouse and Rastrick brass band, art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon and harpist to the Prince of Wales Alis Huws. The Scottish fiddle group Blazin’ Fiddles are due to appear at St George’s Guildhall on November 20. They are all keen to come to Lynn for this postponed event,” Mrs Croose said.

“We have spoken to our sponsors and much appreciate their on-going support for our plans and that they are happy to continue to back us financially,” she said.

“While our sponsors are prepared to support our plans the loss of box office income from a packed programme of events at a two-week July festival will have a financial impact on the organisation,” said Mrs Croose.

Other musicians and artists due to have been part of the 70th Festival will be invited to take part in the festival in July 2021.

The programme will be announced later in the summer. Festival staff are currently working remotely but any administrative inquiries can be made to ema@kingslynnfestival.org.uk. Press inquiries to donna@kingslynnfestival.org.uk.