Boston Calling 2020 Canceled Because Of Coronavirus

BOSTON — Boston Calling 2020 has been canceled, as Massachusetts and the rest of the country struggles to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, organizers announced Tuesday, calling it the "only acceptable way forward."

Foo Fighters, Rage Against the Machine and Red Hot Chili Peppers were set to headline the 11th annual music festival that was set to take place Memorial Day weekend at the Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston.

"After several weeks of consultation with local and state authorities, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Boston Calling 2020 due to the ongoing pandemic," organizers said in a statement. "We are heartbroken: However, the health and safety of our audience, artists, partners, vendors, first responders and staff are of the utmost importance to us."

Boston Calling began in Boston in 2013 and drew crowds in the thousands even before it moved from its smaller space on Government Center Plaza in Boston. Since 2018, it's been held at the much larger area of the Harvard Athletic Complex, drawing an increasingly large lineup and audience.

Organizers said they would be in touch with people who had already bought tickets in the weeks ahead to either refund or have the tickets roll over to next year.

As of Monday, 56 people had died across the state because of the virus, and the number of people who had tested positive rose to 5,752, according to DPH.

Boston Calling joins and increasing number of festivals, races, and events which have chosen to cancel or postpone amid the pandemic.

The Boston Marathon was postponed earlier this month amid fears of the new coronavirus. Race organizers rescheduled the race to September.

Patch will update this space.

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