Halifax Jazz Festival cancels 2020 event

Some of the artists that were scheduled to perform at this summer's Halifax Jazz Festival. (SOURCE: Halifax Jazz Festival)

HALIFAX — The Halifax Jazz Festival announced Thursday that it is cancelling this summer's event, but will try to offer some way of bringing music to fans.

"While HJF may not be able to provide a stage in the same way as we normally do, we are continuing to work with our musical community to find ways of uniting people under the HJF umbrella," the festival aid in a news release. "It’s too early to say what this will look like, but we are confident that as a collective we can find a way to inspire, cheer and connect."

Festival organizers say they made the decision to cancel after consulting with health-care professionals, government officials, artists, and venue managers.

"We are committed to making the health and well-being of everyone in our community our highest priority. With this announcement, we are deeply aware that the upcoming months are going to be challenging on the live-music industry."

The festival said it will offer refunds, but out of concern for the impact the COVID-19 pandemic will have on musicians who rely on revenue from live events, it is also setting up a program that allows people to donate the cost of their pass to the Festival and receive a tax receipt for a charitable donation.