In light of the latest Government and Public Health advice regarding Coronavirus, Coventry City Council has taken the decision to cancel this year’s Godiva Festival.

The decision was taken after careful consideration and together with partners involved in the popular summer event.



The Council has acted to protect the public and to ensure that emergency services’ personnel and key workers are able to concentrate their services where they are most needed.



Thousands of fans gather at Godiva every year to see top name acts and the best local talent, as well as enjoy areas such as the Family Field and a variety of musical and entertainment areas.



Organisers say they know many people will obviously be disappointed, but stress the decision was taken in line with the latest advice regarding limiting the spread of Coronavirus around social distancing and reducing the number avoiding mass gatherings.



The cancellation follows similar steps by the organisers of national events such as Glastonbury and those close to home including Coventry Pride.



Current advice from Public Health England is that the COVID-19 pandemic could last for a prolonged period and into the summer when the festival is held.



The Godiva Festival needs specialist workers and a vast amount of preparation time on site before the event, as well as during the weekend. With the current uncertainty over staffing levels, with many people self-isolating, organisers could not be confident of delivering a high-quality event with all necessary content, infrastructure and safety measures in place.



.Councillor Abdul Salam Khan, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Events, said:

“We are very sad to announce that this year’s Godiva Festival has had to be cancelled and I would like to stress that this decision has been carefully considered in light of the current COVID-19 (Coronavirus) situation, which is unfolding quickly around all of us.



“With all public events, the health and safety of all festival-goers, participants and staff is vital and we believe this is the responsible course of action.”

“We appreciate that many people look forward to Godiva every year but clearly events, festivals and activities are being affected by COVID-19 across the country and internationally and I am sure that people will understand why we’ve had to make the decision given this unprecedented and fast-moving situation.



“On a personal note, I’d like to extend our deepest thanks to our health workers, public health colleagues and NHS partners for their dedication and hard work during these difficult times.



“We hope the current situation is resolved quickly and we look forward to welcoming residents and visitors to events and venues around the city in the not too distant future and to next year’s Godiva Festival..”

