(Image: Capitol Hill Block Party)
2020’s Capitol Hill Block Party musical festival, one of the largest annual events in the neighborhood every July, has been cancelled due to the coronavirus crisis, organizers announced Thursday.
“Due to the current situation with COVID-19, Capitol Hill Block Party 2020 is unable to move forward as planned,” CHBP organizers write. “Our top priority is the health and safety of our community, artists and attendees. We hope everyone is being smart, responsible, and thinking of others during these unprecedented times.”
The annual three-day music festival is looking ahead to 2021, producers said Thursday. Ticket holders can save their passes for next year or request a refund, according to the statement.
Other large Seattle summer events like June’s Seattle Pride have not yet announced any plans for cancellations or rescheduling but many are expected to follow suit.
The Capitol Hill Block Party is produced Jason Lajeunesse, a co-owner of many Capitol Hill venues including music club Neumos which has also been shuttered by the ongoing outbreak.
Attracting around 30,000 attendees every year, the Block Party is a rarity as a ticketed event that takes place on city streets. In 2019, years of tensions between the festival, neighbors, and some of the area’s business community again bubbled up with the city’s event planning officials promising to take a new look at how the event impacts the neighborhood.
A CHBP spokesperson said a much smaller piece of CHBP might still happen if and when restrictions are lifted — an E Pike closure for a street party. “We have discussed the possibility of a celebratory neighborhood event to mark the reopening of gathering spaces, but there is just no certainty when that could be, so anything outside or involving street closures is unlikely at this point,” the spokesperson said.
As for the financial impact of canceling this year’s festival and any possibility the festival carried pandemic insurance, the spokesperson declined to comment.
The full statement from the Block Party including is below:
— Capitol Hill Block Party (@CHBlockParty) April 9, 2020
CHBP Supporters and Attendees,
Due to the current situation with COVID-19, Capitol Hill Block Party 2020 is unable to move forward as planned. Our top priority is the health and safety of our community, artists and attendees. We hope everyone is being smart, responsible, and thinking of others during these unprecedented times. We’re have already put plans in motion for Capitol Hill Block Party 2021 and have confirmed our dates, JULY 23-25 and cannot wait to celebrate arts and music together in a safe environment. Stay home, stay safe. We got this Seattle. Good news, If you bought a ticket during the discounted early bird ticket runs for CHBP 2020 and want to use it for 2021, you can! All tickets will be honored, or you can contact Eventbrite and request a full refund.
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“oh noooo!”
-said no one who actually lives here
Amen
Lol
Let’s keep this tradition of no Block party alive!
This is the best thing to come from this pandemic! Great news!
😂😂
I’m all for “celebrating arts and music,” but the CHBP is not a block party (at least not in the usual neighborhood sense) and doesn’t have much to do with Capitol Hill specifically. I wouldn’t mind one bit if they moved it elsewhere.
Unfortunately, Capitol Hill’s real block party (Pride) is presumably on ice as well this year, as is the downtown parade. Those I will miss.
It’s a fire hazard. Last year’s Lizzo show, I saw people literally suffocating in the crowds and many panic attacks.
Sharpshooters on the roof tops…. whole thing is a dystopian nightmare.
Can they come up with a streaming concert? Sponsored by Amazon, Micro Soft etc. We can raise money for local artist the arts etc. like a Jerry Lewis Telethon but more up to date. No rotary phones.
KEXP, and the Bumbershoot people can handle it. They’ll be a lot of companies looking to recover and you could set up a barter type thing with promo codes etc. So during the virtual concert all revenue from purchases suggest by the event, a percent here and there and you’re generating something. Bars, Restaurants, let’s promote Seattle to the Max to the World.
It’s not a time to kay down and die, it’s time to knock the dirt off your chest, chin high and go fuck some shit up.
SEATTLE, WE REFUSE TO DIE!
In our darkest moment is when we become the brightest.
Take care y’all.