Mumbai, Nov 9 (IANS): The popular music festival Vh1 Supersonic has been cancelled next year owing to the pandemic, it was announced On Monday. The organisers plan to bring back the music gala in 2022.

"Rather than present a diluted version of the festival we love, which would also put fans at risk, we feel we have no other option but to cancel the 2021 edition. However, 'Be There, Be Free' continues to embody the spirit of the festival and we will look to the future, knowing we have to make up for lost ground and create a larger than life fiesta next time around, at India's most-loved multi-genre music festival," said Nikhil Chinapa, festival curator.

Postponing th festival next year has become necessary. "As we were preparing to unite our SuperFam for an electrifying eighth edition of Vh1 Supersonic, we've had to stop and take stock of where the world stands with respect to Covid 19. Several countries are going into a second lockdown, international air travel is restricted and there is still no news of when a viable vaccine will be available to the public," Chinapa explained.

"Our decision to cancel the festival in 2021 and push it to 2022 has come due to the global uncertainty of the ongoing pandemic. Our primary responsibility is to ensure the safety of our festival-goers and taking that into consideration, we have decided to cancel the 2021 edition. In the meantime, we are leaving you all with the promise that we will be back bigger and better in 2022," said Mahesh Shetty of Viacom18.

The seventh edition was held in February this year before the spread of the virus crisis. The line-up included names like Prateek Kuhad, American DJ-record producer Diplo, American rapper Machine Gun Kelly, American musician Illenium and popular rock band Chon.

The news of the cancellation of the next edition comes after Sunburn Goa 2020 was called off last week.