Dear all Jazz friends!

After thorough assessments, the board has concluded that it is not advisable to hold a festival in 2020. The festival has been cancelled. We have a responsibility towards everyone involved and Kongsberg Jazzfestival wants to act as a responsible social actor, says chairman Juel H. Rye. 

Against the background of the outbreak of the Corona pandemic, the consideration of the infection control situation, our audience, artists, suppliers and volunteers, the board agrees that it is not justifiable to carry out this year's festival. 

It is with a heavy heart that we do this, but the board also has a responsibility to take care of the festival, manage it well and secure its future. We cannot put the festival in a situation where we consign it to the history books with open eyes, says chairman Rye.

Tickets are refunded

Now the work starts with contacting affected parties to think together and moving forward.

Those who have bought tickets will be offered a refund of the ticket money. or moving tickets. All necessary information will be made available on our website and those who have bought tickets will be contacted by email. We will come up with this as soon as the practicalities are in place. Awaiting further clarification, we ask for a little patience, says festival manager Kai Gustavsen.

The dialogue with suppliers, artists and management also starts now to find good solutions. The artists will be offered to move the assignment to 2021.

We must secure the festival's future.

We have hardly sold any tickets in the last 4 weeks and expect that ticket sales will be stagnant for several weeks to come.

Budgeted ticket revenue alone is 14 million. It is not possible to collect this. We have looked at different scenarios and they all show significant risk. The festival is in danger of running into a deficit of the order of NOK 12-15 million if it is held in July. By making a decision to cancel now, this risk is significantly reduced, says chairman Juel H. Rye. 

In order for the jazz festival to come out of this in a good way, we are dependent on our partners now standing shoulder to shoulder with us through this. It is therefore good to know that we have good and long-term partners both in the public sector and among our sponsors, says festival manager Kai Gustavsen

Click on this link to read the full rationale for the board's decision.  Minutes from the KJF board meeting on 3 April 2020