Coronavirus claims another festival as Red Hot Summer Tour postponed

One of the last scheduled Australian festivals for 2020 will no longer take place, with the Red Hot Summer Tour announcing that it too has fallen victim to the global coronavirus pandemic.

The 10th anniversary Red Hot Summer Tour has been rescheduled from October 2020 to March of 2022, after it was determined that 2021 wasn’t an option due to artist availabilities.

The full lineup, headlined by Hunters & Collectors, will descend on Kiama Showgrounds NSW (March 5), the Seppeltsfield in the Barossa (March 12) and Ballarat’s North Gardens in Victoria (March 19) in 2022. The shows were already sold-out before the pandemic hit Australia.

Special guests James Reyne, The Living End, The Angels, Baby Animals, Killing Heidi and Boom Crash Opera will all return in just over 18 months time, with organisers revealing they were devastated to have to make the announcement.

“Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions surrounding mass gatherings, we have made the heartbreaking decision not to proceed with the upcoming October dates,” said promoter Duane McDonald.

“The health and welfare of our patrons, artists, staff, and residents of the local areas are our number one priority. All artists have agreed to play the three shows in the summer of 2022, which we are very thankful for.

All those who purchased tickets through Ticketmaster will be contacted in the coming days, with others asked to contact their point of purchase if they desire a refund. McDonald encouraged ticketholders to hang on to their tickets to use in 2022 for the new dates.

“All of these events are sold-out, and we hope that you choose to keep your ticket and join us on the new rescheduled dates,” he said.

The postponement of Red Hot Summer leaves Australia’s East Coast almost completely festival-less between now and the end of the year, with Splendour, Falls Festival, Listen Out, Caloundra Music Festival, Gympie Music Muster, CMC Rocks 2020, Groovin The Moo, Day On The Law, Bluesfest Byron Bay, Big Pineapple, Download, Dark Mofo, Vivid Sydney, and many more all cancelled.