Organizers of Canadian Music Week (CMW) are hitting pause on the annual festival and industry conference in Toronto.
In a statement, CMW president Neill Dixon cited “overriding concern for the safety of all participants” due to the COVID-19 crisis.
CMW was originally scheduled to take place May 19 to 23 but was postponed in March to Sept. 9 to 11. “It has become apparent – at this point in the public health emergency – that September represented too many unavoidable obstacles,” said Dixon.
The Sept. 9 to 11 dates were seen by many industry insiders as unrealistic because it meant CMW would have taken place at the same time as the Toronto International Film Festival.
Dixon said many artists and delegates had already indicated they would not attend.
“Even in a best-case scenario, wherein the spread of COVID-19 has been mitigated and limited public gatherings allowed, high-attendance events such as concerts, sports and conferences will likely be the last public activities to resume,” said Dixon.
He described the cancellation of the 2020 edition of CMW as “heartbreaking.”