In a music festival climate thick with postponements and cancellations due to COVID-19 concerns, good news can be hard to come by. But while some late-summer and fall festivals have pressed on with lineup announcements, the widespread uncertainty in the air regarding 2020 festivals is palpable. Telluride Blues & Brews is taking a slightly different approach...
In a message to its core festivalgoer, the one-of-a-kind Colorado music-meets-craft beer fest is asking fans to vote on the timing of the 2020 lineup announcement.
"Attention fans! It's time for a decision and we need your help!" the festival's message reads. "After months of hard work crafting an incredible artist lineup for the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, September 18, 19, 20, 2020, we are ready to share it with you. But as we watch the news about the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and the devastating effects on the global economy and our beloved arts, music and events communities, our hearts are broken."
Voters are given three options: "I’d like some good news - Please announce the lineup as soon as possible," "April showers bring May flowers - The timing is not right, please hold off for a few weeks," or "This is not the time for live music news - Please wait until things are better."
The experiment says a lot about the current conversation between festivals and fans, and the results have the potential to tell a bigger story about what fans are feeling. Either way, one thing is clear: things are not business as usual.
"We are eager to share the uplifting news and under normal circumstances, we would just post an upcoming announcement date here. Given the situation, we are looking to our fans to tell us when the time is right," the message says. "We are all in this together, we are listening and the decision is yours."
Voting is open to all through March 26 at 5 p.m. MT right here.
