MICF has joined the growing list of events to pull the plug amidst the current global health crisis.
After Scott Morrison advised against gatherings of over 500 people today, this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival has been cancelled.
Scheduled to kick off on Wednesday March 25, MICF 2020 was due to feature a record-breaking 640 shows across its three-and-a-half weeks.
Consuming our city annually, MICF is one of the three largest comedy festivals in the world, bringing the best in the biz and emerging acts from around the world to stages across Melbourne.
“The success of our Festival is in the way that comedy transforms our city for the inspiration and entertainment of hundreds of thousands of comedy lovers,” said MICF Festival Director and CEO Susan Provan.
“Our primary concern is the health and welfare of our artists and participants, staff and audiences. Cancelling the Festival is heartbreaking but the only decision possible to support the community’s efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19),” she said. “We’re devastated by the news but thank everyone for their understanding and support.”
Across its 33 years, the festival has grown to become one of the countries biggest cultural ticketed events. The cancellation is set to be a huge blow to the arts industry and the comedians who were due to perform across the festival.
For more information, visit the Melbourne International Comedy Festival website.
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