2020 Maha Festival cancelled, will resume in 2021

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Maha Festival has been cancelled, festival organizers announced today. Originally scheduled for Aug. 5 – 8, the Maha Festival is a “four-day celebration of music and discovery” that attracted 14,500 attendees last year. The event will resume in August 2021. While the cancellation may seem premature, Executive Director…

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Maha Festival has been cancelled, festival organizers announced today.

Originally scheduled for Aug. 5 – 8, the Maha Festival is a “four-day celebration of music and discovery” that attracted 14,500 attendees last year. The event will resume in August 2021.

While the cancellation may seem premature, Executive Director Lauren Martin said it’s not. Without clear guidelines or assurances from public health officials that the pandemic will have abated by August, Martin said an earlier cancellation was simply a pragmatic business decision.

“If Maha Festival was forced to cancel later in the season due to circumstances beyond our control, we would have had to refund ticket purchases after already having spent quite a bit on the cost of the event itself. It’s not something our organization could easily come back from. Canceling now helps ensure that Maha can return in 2021, and for years to come.” Martin said.

The 2019 Maha Festival featured a packed headlining performance in Stinson Park by groundbreaking R&B singer, songwriter and flutist Lizzo, as well as performances by indie rock favorite Jenny Lewis and electronic duo Matt and Kim. A keynote presentation and Q&A by acclaimed media theorist and writer Douglas Rushkoff capped off the tech-focused Maha Discovery event before the concert.

Read the full cancellation announcement here.

This story is part of the AIM Archive

This story is part of the AIM Institute Archive on Silicon Prairie News. AIM gifted SPN to the Nebraska Journalism Trust in January 2023. Learn more about SPN’s origin »

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