Cov’s much loved Motofest cancelled over coronavirus

MOTOFEST has been cancelled for 2020 organisers have confirmed.

The hugely popular motoring event sees hundreds of thousands of visitors to Coventry city centre each year.

But, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, 2020’s installment has been cancelled.

The event, which was set to take place on June 6 and 7, will now be pushed back to 2021, where it will tie in to the City of Culture celebrations.

Organisers confirmed that the 2021 installment will take place on June 4-6.

In 2019, the event attracted 229,232 visitors to the city, making it one of the top 10 most attended events in the UK.

And, with the number of visitors growing year-on-year, the risk of coronavirus spreading through attendees proved to be too much for the organisers of the event.

James Noble, Motofest festival director, said: “Against the current backdrop of extraordinary events, the Motofest Coventry board has been constantly evaluating the viability of this year’s festival.

“Following recent Government advice on mass gatherings and largescale public events during the Coronavirus crisis, we have taken the sensible and appropriate decision to suspend Motofest Coventry for this year.

“Please be assured, the weight of consideration, both practical and moral, has been substantial and we do not arrive at this decision lightly.

“Motofest Coventry has grown substantially in recent years, with 2019’s attendance of 229,232 helping to firmly establish its place in the UK’S top ten most attended events.

“As a result, Motofest Coventry makes a huge economic and cultural contribution to the city of Coventry, another factor that has made our decision a difficult one to reach.

“However, in the current climate the health and safety of those attending and those who work on and support a large-scale event such as Motofest Coventry is paramount, so this is the responsible course of action to take.

“Motofest Coventry 2020 was intended to be our largest event to date. An evening track programme, demonstrations of wheel to wheel motorsport, a new drift car arena, Concourse D’elegance show and a new Festival of British Engineering, set to be among the highlights of the festival.

“We were also due to stage a hugely expanded music offering, which included a new dance music event featuring globally renowned DJS, artists and dance acts. These new elements and much more will return next year as part of our exciting line-up. We now intend to regroup and turn our attention to 2021 - Coventry UK City of Culture year - on 4, 5 and 6 June with an event bigger and better than ever before. Until then, please take care of yourself and those around you.”