In response to the challenging times being faced by the arts sector across the globe, the 10-day festival, originally scheduled to begin late August, will go ahead but not in the way you have experienced it before.
Horizon will showcase a program of digital events and activities in partnership with local artists and the community, commencing in June.
Sunshine Coast Council Mayor and Local Disaster Management Group chair Mark Jamieson said council was acutely aware of the enormous impact COVID-19 was having on individual artists, arts workers and the arts sector as a whole.
"The festival we had planned for 2020 was designed to bring people together for shared arts experiences, however like event organisers across the world, our priority now is the safety and wellbeing of our community, artists and our team members," Mayor Jamieson said.
"It is impossible to predict what the coming months will hold, and after much consideration we made the difficult decision not to proceed with our 2020 festival in its usual format.
"Instead, we will deliver a smaller program of online experiences, working with our artists to both make sense of the chaos and provide a positive and relevant impact on our arts sector and community.
"On behalf of the Horizon Festival team, I would like to thank all of the artists who have already invested their time in preparing for the 2020 festival, and if your event isn't possible this year, we hope to work with you again in 2021."
More information on the revised Horizon Festival 2020 program will be available in the near future.
Visit horizonfestival.com.au for updates.
