The 2020 Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival — which was set to be headlined by Madness, Cock Sparrer, and a reunited Circle Jerks — has been put on hold due to the coronavirus epidemic.
Update, April 3rd: An initial announcement informed fans that the multi-day Las Vegas event would now take place in the fall instead of Memorial Day weekend, as originally scheduled. However, a new press release states that the festival is now postponed until May 28th-31st, 2021, effectively cancelling the 2020 event.
Organizers were hoping that most of the bands on the original lineup will be available to perform at the festival in the fall, but now it is unknown which acts will return in 2021. Other bands on the bill included The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Adicts, Propaghandi, Stiff Little Fingers, Anti-Flag, Municipal Waste, The Lawrence Arms, and Ho9909, among dozens more artists.
The new statement from the festival’s publicist reads in part
“After much deliberation and in an abundance of caution, we are sorry to inform everyone that we have had to make the difficult decision to postpone the 2020 Punk Rock Bowling Tournament & Music Festival until 2021. The current coronavirus pandemics rapid acceleration is a clear and ongoing threat to everyone, and we feel it’s in the best interest of the fans, bands, and all of our wonderful staff and partners that we do not risk anyone’s health.”
The Circle Jerks reunion performance was part of a 40th anniversary tour celebrating their classic debut album, Group Sex. There’s no word yet on the status of the band’s other May and June gigs.
All tickets for the festival will be honored for the 2021 event. Those who cannot attend during the 2021 dates can get a full refund. Keep up to date on the latest info at the official Punk Rock Bowling website.
Punk Rock Bowling is just one of many festivals postponed during the coronavirus epidemic. Keep track of postponed and canceled festivals and tours with this updated list of affected events.
