My Chemical Romance have postponed their planned tour of Australia and New Zealand due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The band were due to headline Download Australia on the run, and their withdrawal from the festival has had a calamitous effect on the event, with organisers reporting that the festival has now been cancelled.
My Chemical Romance say: “It is with heavy hearts that we have decided to postpone our performances in Australia and New Zealand. We felt this was the right decision for our fans, our band, our crew, and our families given the current global situation.
“We apologise to our fans, but please know that we didn’t come to this decision lightly. Thank you for your understanding and we look forward to being with you all again as soon as we can. In the meantime, please be good to each other.”
That statement was then followed by one from Download Australia, who confirmed that this year’s event has been cancelled.
Organisers say: “Given that this announcement has come barely eight days prior to Download Australia, we will not be able to secure an alternative headliner as there is insufficient time to secure visas and arrange the other relevant logistics that are required prior to the festival.
“As we are unable to deliver a complete lineup to meet the standard that Download fans both expect and deserve, we have very reluctantly made the decision to cancel Download Australia 2020.
“The Download team has been working around the clock to create an unforgettable experience for heavy music fans and we are devastated not be able to deliver this show to Australian Downloaders as planned.
“We are currently working with both My Chemical Romance and Deftones – who were also due to headline – to schedule separate headline shows in Australia in 2020 and will update you all as soon as we have these.
“We are also working with a number of artists who have official Download side shows scheduled, to add headline shows in Sydney and Melbourne next week, stay tuned for these dates.”
Organisers add: “We appreciate that the decision to cancel Download Australia will cause huge disappointment and may create major difficulty for ticket holders, for which we sincerely apologise.”
All those who purchased tickets for Download Melbourne and Sydney 2020 will receive a full refund including booking and payment processing fees.
Artists including Testament, Clutch, Baroness, In Flames, Jimmy Eat World, Ministry, The Hu and Venom Prison were all due to perform.
Keep up to date with all the latest news on tour and show postponements and cancellations due to coronavirus on Louder’s dedicated hub page. This will be updated regularly with news as we get it.
The World Health Organisation have posted public advice in light of the spread of the virus which covers basic protective measures.
