Feb 27, 2020 What's On
The much-anticipated French aerial show Place des Anges has been cancelled, the Auckland Arts Festival’s (AAF) executive says.
Organisers ran into major freight issues related to the coronavirus outbreak, and the subsequent cancellation of air cargo flights worldwide.
AAF chief executive David Inns said freight has become a global issue which has been changing daily with cancelled flights, reduced air cargo capacity and prices skyrocketing.
“We have now exhausted all options and today made the very difficult decision to cancel Place des Anges. Like the performers, we are all very disappointed that we are no longer able to present this very special show in Auckland. The cost to bring the freight to New Zealand for the show have escalated over the weeks to the point where it is now no longer feasible for the ongoing financial viability of the Festival.”
Auckland Festival Trust chair John Judge said the Festival Board had carefully weighed up all factors and cancellation was the only option. “We could not put the future of the Festival in jeopardy.”
AAF artistic director Jonathan Bielski said cancelling Place des Anges was a very difficult decision. “Cancelling any show is difficult and this was to be a truly magical experience. We apologise to all ticket purchasers for any inconvenience caused.”
Tickets will be fully refunded via Ticketmaster. Those who booked online or over the phone with a credit card will receive automatic refunds. Please allow up to five working days for these to be processed. Those who purchased in person at outlets can return to the point of sale or call Ticketmaster on 09 951 2501.
At this stage, no other shows in Auckland Arts Festival 2020 have been impacted by the issue and are going ahead as scheduled.
