NEW ORLEANS — Another major festival moved to the Fall has been cancelled.
BUKU: Planet B, the delayed BUKU Fest, is officially cancelled due to COVID-19.
"The purpose of PLANET B was to 'set yourself free' as we celebrate the return of festivals in New Orleans. Simply put, we're not quite there yet," a release from BUKU officials said. "However, by putting the health of the community first NOW, we believe we are doing the right thing to preserve the FUTURE and ensure that this surge is the last."
BUKU Fest joins the like of Jazz Fest and French Quarter Fest in cancelling their rescheduled Fall festivals as Louisiana's COVID cases and hospitalizations surge.
The COVID-19 pandemic's fourth wave, fueled by the Delta variant and Louisiana's low vaccination rate, has put hospital across the state in a dire situation. Emergency rooms and ICU units are overwhelmed with COVID patients and are unable to provide adequate care to people with other health issues.
In New Orleans, new restrictions in the form of a vaccine mandate are now in place for bars, restaurants, music venues and most major events.
"We also want to say that we support the City's current guidelines and we fully support those festivals moving forward in other locations around the country," the statement from BUKU said. "To end on a positive note, the lineup for the next BUKU on March 25-26 2022 is insane so far. Can't wait."
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