The organizer of the White Party in Palm Springs has confirmed that there will be no event this year. The gathering was originally scheduled to take place in April, with Meghan Trainor and Todrick Hall among those performing. The annual party attracts up to 30,000 revelers and is believed to be the biggest gay, dance festival in the world.
However, as the COVID pandemic began to escalate – with California proving a hotspot – the event was pushed back to October.
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Jeffrey Sanker – the creator and organizer of the event – has posted a notice to the event’s official website saying because of ongoing restrictions on gatherings, the event will not now be happening in 2020.
“With the unpredictable changes in health guidelines surrounding COVID-19 which we respect and are taking seriously, my biggest concern is the safety of our attendees and the people of Palm Springs,” said Sanker.
“Please know that we have tried everything in our power to try to produce our event with all safety measures in place, but unfortunately it’s just not possible to move forward, given the unpredictability of COVID-19. It’s with great sadness that we have decided to postpone this year’s White Party festival. We’ve been producing White Party for over 30 years now and it’s not possible to deliver the full White Party experience you all deserve. We want to thank our guests for understanding and being so patient with us during this time.
“All current ticket holders will have their passes automatically transferred to our 2021 festival taking place April 23rd to 26th.”
The White Party joins hundreds of pride events and other LGBTQ gatherings to be canceled in 2020 because of COVID-19. Also, many gay venues remain shut and at least a dozen in the US are known to have closed for good due to the ongoing financial hardship caused by the pandemic.
Related: The iconic venues that won’t be returning after COVID-19
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