Boots & Hearts, Big Sky country music festivals cancelled

Plans for two major Ontario country music festivals are being sidelined this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Republic Live, organizer of the Boots & Hearts and Big Sky music festivals, says the 2020 editions have been scrapped as the virus "remains a risk for all large-scale events."

The concerts were scheduled to unfold in July and August at the Burl's Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte, Ont., about 30 kilometres north of Barrie.

Boots & Hearts is one of the province's biggest music festivals, and the lineup this year included Eric Church, Dan + Shay and pop singer Alessia Cara.

Organizers say Church has already committed to headlining next year's edition of the festival, which will run from Aug. 5 to 8, 2021.

Passes for this year's Boots & Hearts will be honoured next year, and full refunds are "available upon request for all ticket types." Republic Live added that Big Sky festival tickets are being automatically refunded to the purchasers.