2020 Monterey Jazz Festival Postponed Until September 24-26

New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The Monterey Jazz Festival announced today the postponement of the 2020 festival until September 24-26, 2021. The postponement, the first in the Monterey Jazz Festival's 62-year history, comes after careful consideration of the realities of COVID-19's impact on the health and safety of the festival's audience, artists, volunteers, and students.

Safety remains the festival's top priority during these unsettling times, and the decision to postpone was made after carefully considering the continued threat of COVID-19 into the fall, as well as national, state, and local restrictions on travel and large event gatherings.

"2020 is my 30th year as part of the Monterey Jazz Festival family and I am deeply saddened to come to the realization that this year's festival is not to be," said Tim Jackson, MJF's Artistic Director. "We must recognize our current world situation and put the health and safety of our artists, patrons, staff, and volunteers first. I am extremely proud of the artistic programming that was planned for this year. It would have been exciting, diverse, and fun with both forward motion and respect for legacy and history, which is a Monterey tradition. It is my hope to present the majority of our 2020 artists next year. Meanwhile, we will be working diligently to bring you exciting, new programs and content virtually over the following months while we build for next year's festival, scheduled for September 24-26, 2021."

"We think of our artists, patrons, and volunteers as a part of our MJF family," said Colleen Bailey, MJF's Executive Director. "We make this difficult choice as a way of protecting those we hold dear. But while we eagerly await the chance to be with you again, and enjoy the moments that can only be experienced as a community, we promise that we will use this time productively to develop new ideas that will bring the festival back next year!"

Patrons who have already purchased tickets to the 2020 Festival have three options: Donate the value of the ticket to support the continuation of the Monterey Jazz Festival; transfer the tickets to be used the 2021 festival; or request a full refund (by July 17).

The non-profit Monterey Jazz Festival relies on ticket revenue to operate, and every donation will sustain the organization today and for years to come. To read the full statement, see below:

"The Monterey Jazz Festival is deeply saddened to announce the postponement of the 2020 festival until September 24-26, 2021. The health and safety of our patrons, staff, and volunteers is our top priority. Like all of you, we have watched the news and the spread of COVID-19, hoping that the virus would have run its course by September. However, we recognize that these are unprecedented times, and our jazz family - our audience, artists, volunteers, and students - are what we need to think about.

We also feel strongly about jazz and the value of communing with our jazz family, especially when we all have been through a challenging time. In our 63-year history we have never missed a festival. To make this decision - with the artists announced, the tickets on sale, the poster designed - breaks our heart. We are grieving with you as this festival joins so many others, and like you, we are eager to be able to meet again. We are going to be here for you next year, and we know you will want to join us in 2021.

"2020 is my 30th year as part of the Monterey Jazz Festival family and I am deeply saddened to come to the realization that this year's festival is not to be. As much as we would like to present the 63rd edition of the Monterey Jazz Festival, we must recognize our current world situation and put the health and safety of our artists, patrons, staff and volunteers first. I am extremely proud of the artistic programming that was planned for this year. It would have been exciting, diverse, and fun with both forward motion and respect for legacy and history, which is a Monterey tradition. It is my hope to present the majority of our 2020 artists in 2021. Meanwhile, we will be working diligently to bring you exciting, new programs and content over the following months while we build for next year's festival scheduled for September 24-26, 2021." - Tim Jackson, Artistic Director

"We think of our artists, patrons, and volunteers as a part of our MJF family. We make this difficult choice as a way of protecting those we hold dear. But while we eagerly await the chance to be with you again, and enjoy the moments can only be experienced as a community, we promise that we will use this time productively to develop new ideas that will bring the festival back better than ever!" - Colleen Bailey, Executive Director

We are so grateful to you for your faith in us and for purchasing your ticket to the 2020 festival. Thank you for trusting us to make the best decision for the health and safety of everyone.

If you have already purchased your Monterey Jazz Festival tickets, you will have three options:

Donate the value of your ticket to support the continuation of the Monterey Jazz Festival. The Monterey Jazz Festival relies on ticket revenue to operate, and we appreciate every donation that can be made to sustain the organization today and for years to come. To donate the value of your tickets, please fill in this form. If you chose to donate the value of your tickets, your seats will be reserved for you to renew in 2021.
Transfer your tickets to the 2021 festival. Your ticket purchase will be automatically transferred to the 2021 festival, so if this is the option you would like, no other action is required.
You may also request a full refund which includes all applicable fees. Refunds must be requested by July 17, 2020. To request your refund please fill in this form or call 888-248-6499. If you chose to request a refund, your seats will be reserved for you to renew in 2021.

We are working through the complicated process of postponement and adapting our organizational model so we can continue to bring you beloved Monterey Jazz Festival content from the archives and educational offerings virtually throughout 2020. Your donation to the Monterey Jazz Festival ensures all of this can happen, and that September 2021 includes another fantastic Monterey Jazz Festival.

Your support, your calls and emails sharing your love of this event has brought so much joy to our hearts. This has been a challenging time for all of us, and we often look forward to events like the Monterey Jazz Festival as an opportunity to celebrate, to escape and to revel in a shared community of music. Thank you for sticking with us through this incredible moment in time.
Stay safe and healthy, we look forward to seeing you September 24-26, 2021 in Monterey."