Chicago's blues, gospel festivals canceled due to pandemic

CHICAGO (AP) - Some of Chicago's biggest summer festivals have been cancelled because of the coronavirus, city officials announced Tuesday.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot says that out of an abundance of caution she has cancelled May's Gospel Music Festival and House Music Conference & Festival and June's Blues Festival. The decision came as Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that new cases of COVID-19 won't peak in Illinois until mid-May, not mid- to late April as expected. He says that's because of adherence to his stay-at-home order.

Lightfoot called the festival cancellations disappointing, especially for those who worked hard to organize a Year of Chicago Music initiative, which she said will be extended into 2021.

``As upsetting it is to remove these events from our calendar, we are already looking forward to next year, where we'll be pulling out all the stops for a festival season Chicago will never forget, she said.

In announcing the cancellation of the festivals on Tuesday, city officials said the decision does not serve as guidance for producers of other music event producers. The city is home to Lollapalooza and Pitchfork festivals in July and August, which attracts tens of thousands of fans.