SunFest officials announced on Wednesday that they will not move forward with a reimagined event that was tentatively set to begin on April 30th.
SunFest 2020 was also canceled due to the pandemic.
Organizers say there is a "growing uncertainty from artists about putting their fans into a large music festival setting." They say they can't move forward because "SunFest without enough notable musical artists simply is not SunFest."
They are looking forward to 2022, when the event is expected to happen April 28th to May 1st.
Official Press Release From SunFest:
SunFest officials announced today that they would not move forward with a reimagined event tentatively set for April 30 – May 2, 2021. The nonprofit festival, which has helped fans celebrate music and art for almost 40 years, was canceled in 2020 in light of the pandemic.
“While we knew that hosting a traditional SunFest would be challenging, we believed that the possible reward for our fans was worth the attempt,” said Paul Jamieson, SunFest executive director. “We were driven by the idea that our fans needed something to look forward to.”
SunFest is produced by SunFest of Palm Beach County, Inc., a private 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. It consists of a 23-member board of directors; 25 committees; more than 2,000 volunteers; a full time, year-round staff of 4; and approximately 80 corporate sponsors. SunFest is funded in part by the Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council through the Palm Beach County Cultural Council. SunFest is also sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Arts Council.
“We have seen a growing uncertainty from artists about putting their fans into a large music festival setting. Unfortunately, this is the current state of the touring industry,” continued Jamieson. “Given this feedback, we have determined that we cannot go forward for 2021. SunFest without enough notable musical artists simply is not SunFest, and we believe we owe our fans more than that.”
Looking forward to 2022 Jamieson continued, “We share everyone’s disappointment, just as we share the concerns that so many people have expressed. We look forward to seeing everyone on the waterfront again in 2022.”
Fans who purchased a ticket for 2020 will now have an extra incentive to continue to roll over the same ticket to 2022. “We want to say thank you to our fans for their loyalty and we are offering a ‘share SunFest with a friend’ ticket option – those who are holding onto a ticket from 2020 can now bring one friend to SunFest 2022 on us,” said Jamieson.
Save the dates of Thursday, April 28 – Sunday, May 1 for SunFest 2022. For more information about SunFest or to inquire about the ticket roll-over plan, please visit www.SunFest.com or call 561-659-5980.
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