Bethel Woods Center for the Arts announced today its decision to cancel its 2020 Pavilion Season due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The season was to include over 20 shows, with performances by James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Norah Jones, and The Black Crowes, among others.
Eric Frances, chief executive officer of Bethel Woods said, âOur concerts have been enjoyed against a backdrop of the invigorating summer sun and the bright moon and stars on a clear night. At other times, we endured torrential rain, lightning, and squalls of wind. â And here we are, in 2020, facing what feels like the most challenging storms of our lifetime,â Frances continues, âIt is with a heavy heart that I inform you that the Pavilion stage will not be opening this summer. We have worked tirelessly to navigate governmental restrictions and the pandemicâs impact on the concert industry, resulting in many artists cancelling their tours. I know this is disappointing news to all our loyal donors, members, sponsors and guests who have shared 14 summers of concerts with their friends and families. We cannot, however, safely and in good faith provide our guests the quality experience that has become the standard of Bethel Woods.â
At this time, many concert dates have been moved to 2021. The 800+ acre campus, consisting of multiple venues and spaces, is exploring alternative programming if viable. Frances states, âThe Event Gallery, Museum and its exhibits, along with our new outdoor augmented reality tour, will open as soon as it is safe to do so. While this is not the outcome any of us desired, we assure you that we will weather this storm and connect with you in other ways until we can be together again.â
Ticket holders, members and season lawn pass holders have the option to 1) donate all or a portion of their ticket(s)/membership value to help sustain Bethel Woods and continue programming and preservation efforts at the historic site; 2) defer their value to respective 2021 events, memberships or season lawn passes; 3) receive a full refund. Any donation of tickets, memberships and season lawn passes will be matched by a member of the board of trustees. For details and FAQs on refunds please visit, www.bethelwoodscenter.org/covid19.