Secret Stages 2020 Cancelled Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

BIRMINGHAM, AL — One of Birmingham's premier music attractions has been cancelled this year. Secret Stages, which would have geld its 10th annual discovery music festival this summer, will not happen, as concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic have cast uncertainty over public events in Birmingham for the foreseeable future.

"All of us who take part in organizing this event are deeply disappointed we won’t be able to present to you our surprises, our upgrades, and what was shaping up to be an incredible lineup," said organizers of the festival in a statement Wednesday. "The uncertainty over what will and will not be allowed come August, the financial strain that our traditional partners, both public and private, have undergone, and the lost months of planning and fundraising have forced us to take a live to fight an-other day mindset."

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The cancellation of this year's festival does not, however, mean the festival is going away, organizers said. "Secret Stages has no intention of going anywhere. We are eternally grateful for the support that Birmingham and the region has shown us. From our loyal attendees to our faithful partners, our passionate volunteers to the hundreds of artists, we are lucky to have been embraced by this community for the last 10 years," the news release reads.

Organizers said that in the coming weeks and months they will look for ways to support the community and, specifically, the local music industry.

Secret Stages director Jon Poor issued this video statement:

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