Toronto’s Luminato Festival, launched in wake of SARS, cancelled because of COVID-19

TORONTO — The Luminato Festival, which draws artists from around the world to Toronto, has been cancelled this summer because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The festival was launched in 2007 to help revive the city’s cultural scene in the wake of 2003’s SARS outbreak. 

Organizers said they were mindful of these origins in making the decision to cancel this June’s festival to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“Everyone at Luminato is determined to do whatever we can to help ensure that Toronto’s cultural community survives this critical period,” CEO Anthony Sargent and artistic director Naomi Campbell said in a statement Thursday.

“We will play our part to help rebuild all the things that will need rebuilding.”

More than 40 cultural events were scheduled to take place across Toronto between June 11 and 28.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 26, 2020.

The Canadian Press

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