Lovers, please find below a statement regarding this year’s Lovebox Festival pic.twitter.com/EzGE36AsIs

— Lovebox 2020 (@LoveboxFestival) March 27, 2020

It is another day and another cancelled events. This time, West London’s Lovebox has joined a long list of musical events that have to call it quit because of the severe pandemic of Coronavirus throughout the world.

Previously, Lovebox planned to return this year for its 19th annual festival. It was scheduled to kick off for three days as usual from June 12 to 14 at Gunnersbury Park in West London, with around 10,000 capacity.

Back in December 2019, the festival broke the news that Tyler, the Creator would be headlining. Following the ‘IGOR‘ rapper, Robyn, Disclosure, Khalid, and Charli XCX appeared in the list of numerous artists to perform at the festival.

However, the organisers took to the online world, announcing that Lovebox will come back “stronger than ever” next year. The new dates are June 11-13 at the same location.

Those who already purchased the tickets for this year will be contacted back for refund. Meanwhile, the tickets can be used to attend the 2021 edition.

Lovebox has been another cancelled music festival in the UK this year because of the outbreak of Coronavirus. The announcement was made not long after the cancellation of Download, Isle of Wight, The Great Escape, All Points East, and Glastonbury. Nevertheless, Glasgow’s TRNSMT has been the sole festival that decides to continue holding its 2020 edition in spite of the virus crisis.

Among a massive number of upcoming music festivals, Lovebox is another one that starts to build the hype for next year. It has revealed Tyler, the Creator as the first of its line-up.

Tyler Gregory Okonma will bring his latest acclaimed album IGOR to show at the festival’s main stage. It is also reported that next year, Lovebox will expand for full three days from June 12 to 14 at the same location of Gunnersbury Park, London.

Lovebox has been known as a festival for hip-hop, dance, R&B, and electronic music. Since 2002, the festival has seen the appearances of various artists of the genres, such as Solange and Chance the Rapper who headlined last year.

IGOR is Tyler’s fifth studio album which received critical acclaim for his usual brilliant production. The album debuted at number 4 on UK Albums Chart and spawned a hit single “EARFQUAKE” which peaked at number 17 on UK Singles Chart.

ดูโพสต์นี้บน Instagram

⚡ TYLER, THE CREATOR ⚡ Our first headliner announcement for Lovebox 2020 Catch him in London this summer on Sunday 14th June. Register now to access the pre-sale and you could win x4 VIP Weekend tickets @feliciathegoat

โพสต์ที่แชร์โดย Lovebox Festival (@loveboxfestival) เมื่อ ธ.ค. 6, 2019 เวลา 1:00am PST

Presale will be up on Wednesday, December 11, followed by general sale on Friday via Lovebox’s official site.

Taking place in the capital’s Victoria Park from July 15-16, this year’s festival saw sets from the likes of Frank Ocean, Miller, and Solange. However the festival has today made headlines for all the wrong reasons, after attendee Louisa Davies claimed that the festival’s security staff sexual assaulted her during the aforementioned Ocean’s headline set on Friday night.

To the security guard at Lovebox who put his hand up my shorts – I'm not letting you ruin my weekend, you absolute scumbag.

— Louisa Davies (@LouisaD__) July 15, 2017

In a piece written for W Magazine, Davies described her experience, writing “A line of security guards walked towards me in a yellow line, and naturally (as I am a sucker for authority), I moved. One by one, the men walked past me… I felt a hand run up my thigh, and it then tuck itself inside my shorts. I froze, pushed the man away from me, and before I had chance to think, he had gone.”

In addition to this, Davies claims that it took nearly 40 minutes for her complaints of the assault to be addressed, continuing to say “If the same urgency and seriousness that was applied to drugs was issued for assaults and derogatory attitudes towards women, perhaps the problem [of sexual assault at festivals] would be less severe.”

Sexual assault at festivals has become a burning issue in modern musical culture, and back in May, several music festivals’ official websites participated in a “blackout” to affirm their dedication to tackling the issue.

Lovebox were not one of the festivals that took part in this blackout, and as of yet the festival’s organisers MAMA Group have not yet responded to these accusations.

A press release by the festivals organiser says“Visionary artist Frank Ocean has earned his place as one of the most celebrated and critically acclaimed acts of this era… Frank Ocean is sure to lead the way of what will be an unforgettable roster, once again making London’s own Lovebox a defining moment of the festival season. This outstanding headliner is the first taste of great things to come for Lovebox 2017.”
The announcement and subsequent performance will mark Ocean’s long-awaited return to the stage, with his last performance coming in July 2014. Also long-awaited was the release of Ocean’s second studio album Blonde earlier this year, which garnered much critical acclaim in the process.

Ocean also gave his first interview in three years recently, to the New York Times, following a prolonged absence from the music press, after the release of Blonde. The interview told that Ocean had already been working on new music, but that he may also never release an album again. The interview with NY Times also confirmed that even now, Ocean is working on new music in an “anonymous music studio”. Ocean himself has recently parted ways with Def Jam, and suggested that he may even move away from full-length album releases in the future, saying “Because I’m not in a record deal, I don’t have to operate in an album format. I can operate in half-a-song format.”

LCD Soundsystem are in the middle of a huge world tour. Coachella and – more recently, Glastonbury – LCD Soundsystem has certainly given fans an immense performance. Sources close to me say that guitarist Al Doyle thought LCD’s performance at Glastonbury was the best they had ever played together. Those who had the pleasure to see them live or watch them via the BBC would agree their ninety-plus minute show was a truly amazing performance. Tracks like ‘Daft Punk Is Playing At My House’ (watch below) and ‘Losing My Edge’ continue to amaze audiences.

Recently Twitter users commented on the poor turn out at Scotland’s T in the Park festival as they ‘lost out’ to fans of rival headliners Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Turning the coin, one could argue that LCD fans were treated to a unique and a more intimate gig.

LCD Soundsystem are headlining the Lovebox festival on Saturday night (16 July), and fans, once more, will be treated to a superb performance which will continue to demonstrate their superlative command on the world stage.

As projects like Lowline in New York take off, it demonstrates a community spirit that continuously evolves throughout New York. There is certainly the same spirit shown in James Murphy’s residence in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. And, with such gigantic and incredible tour, it should be not appear to be as a ‘comeback’, but as they say:

“This isn’t a victory lap or anything, which wouldn’t be of much interest to us. This is just the bus full of substitute teachers back from their coffee break with new music and the same weird gear…”