Organisers of the Manx Competitive Music, Speech and Dance Festival, in association with Dandara, have made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s event.
Due to take place from 24th April – 1st May at the Villa Marina, the announcement comes amid continued uncertainty surrounding COVID-19. The safety and welfare of the competitors, audience, volunteers and all those who support the event, in addition to the travel restrictions caused by the pandemic, are the reasons behind the decision.
Festival chairman Anne Clarke said: ‘In light of the recent COVID-19 developments both here and in the UK, and the uncertainty that surrounds the next few months, we have reluctantly come to the decision to cancel the 2021 Guild. We appreciate that many people will be disappointed by this news as we were hopeful that this year’s Festival could go ahead as planned, however sadly it is not to be.
‘We hope everyone can understand why we've had to take this difficult decision and would like to assure you that, pandemic permitting, the Guild will be back bigger, better and stronger than ever in 2022.’
Dandara Marketing Director Jo Orton said: ‘As proud sponsors of the Guild, we are sorry that the 2021 event has had to be cancelled for the second year. I am sure this will come as disappointing news for all involved, particularly the Festival committee which each year puts its heart and soul into organising the event. However, it is absolutely the right decision at this time and we are confident that the 2022 Guild will be a comeback like no other!’