March 26, 2020 (Toronto, Canada): Today Luminato Festival Toronto has announced the immediate cancellation of the 2020 Festival due to the unprecedented Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The 2020 Festival, which was due to take place June 11 – 28, has been cancelled following government advice, and to protect the safety of our audiences, artists and all our staff and volunteers. 2020 would have been the first full festival programmed by Artistic Director Naomi Campbell. Festival ticket holders will be contacted about their ticketing options. Luminato Festival Toronto will return for its 15th anniversary in June 2021.
Statement from Luminato Festival Toronto’s Leadership team – Peter Herrndorf CC OOnt, Board Chair, Anthony Sargent CBE, CEO and Naomi Campbell, Artistic Director:
It is with great sadness that we announce the cancellation of Luminato Festival Toronto 2020.
We had a thrilling program planned for this June: works of theatre, dance, music, food, ideas, visual art, installations and more, created by extraordinary international, national and local artists, and built around three weekends of free, outdoor projects in different parts of Toronto. Those plans will now be put aside, with the urgency of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.
Given Luminato’s origins as an initiative to help rejuvenate Toronto after SARS, we are keenly aware of how important it is to work as a community in challenging times like these. Over the coming months and year ahead, we will work alongside our community and all levels of government to help ensure that Toronto’s artistic community survives this critical period and continues to contribute to the cultural fabric of Toronto.
We would like to take a moment to thank the frontline professionals making enormous sacrifices to keep us safe right now. Wishing everyone safety and good health.
Luminato is very grateful for the generous support from visionary individual, foundation, corporate and government supporters including:
- Founding Government Partner Province of Ontario
- Major Partners Government of Canada, City of Toronto
- Program Partners and Supporters TD Bank Group, BMO, Anonymous, The Michael Young Family Foundation, Kiki and Ian Delaney, The Hal Jackman Foundation, Gretchen and Donald Ross, O.C., Sandra and Jim Pitblado, C.M., Larry and Judy Tanenbaum and Family, Alice and Grant Burton, Louise MacCallum and Michael Barnstijn and many others.
- Government Partners Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts
- Media Partners Globe & Mail, St. Joseph’s Media, The Walrus
