JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In response to ongoing health concerns to due the COVID-19 pandemic, the Jacksonville Jazz Festival on Tuesday decided to cancel the event in 2020.
The Jazz Festival said it the decision came at the direction of city officials.
“The City of Jacksonville is committed to the health and safety of the community, and we urge everyone to follow the guidelines and protocols put forth by public health officials,” a statement read.
All VIP ticket purchases will be automatically refunded to the original method of payment within two weeks, according to the post.
As far as other Jacksonville concerts -- there are cancelations that are stretching into June. Some are rescheduling to July or August.
Some events, like Elton John’s concert, haven’t made an announcement.
Within the last month and beyond, other events like concerts have been postponed altogether, and there are financial concerns mounting for both organizers and consumers.
USA Today has reported that wording in Ticketmaster’s refund policy changed suddenly, fueling anger among many. Images from the website show that it once said refunds are available is your event is “postponed, rescheduled or canceled.”
As of Tuesday, the Ticketmaster site read that refunds were available “if your event is canceled.” Ticketmaster responded by telling USA Today that its policy remains the same and that it only changed the wording.
LINK: Event status updates from Ticketmaster
Beyond consumers worrying about tickets they’ve purchased but don’t get to use, there’s a considerable amount of lost income for venues and musicians. That applies to sports leagues and organizations, too.
Both Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Trump said Tuesday that they want to see a return to sports sooner than later, even if very few fans, if any, get to attend in person.
There’s discussion about Major League Baseball playing in both Florida and Arizona where teams conduct spring training.