2020 CANCELLATION
FAQs
What if I purchased through EVENTBRITE? If you have not submitted a requested you should have received an email from Newport Folk Festival or Newport Jazz Festival to the email address used to purchase your tickets. That email will list all your options for donation and refund, and will include a link for you to complete that process. If you did not receive the email, please check your spam folder. As you missed the initial deadline (May 14, 2020), you will only be able to request a full or partial refund, and processing may be delayed. No Revival Memberships will be made available. If your request is not submitted by July 1, 2020, our standard no refunds policy will be reinstated and your full ticket order will be converted into a tax-deductible donation to our Foundation.
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What if I purchased through the Fan-to-Fan exchange, LYTE? If you purchased through Lyte, you will receive an email directing you to your Lyte order with the available refund options. As you missed the initial deadline (May 14, 2020), you will only be able to request a full or partial refund, and processing may be delayed. No Revival Memberships will be made available. If your request is not submitted by July 1, 2020, our standard no refunds policy will be reinstated and your full ticket order will be converted into a tax-deductible donation to our Foundation. If you have any questions, contact Lyte at support@lyte.com.
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I submitted my request through the link you provided, should I have received an email confirmation?
No. In the next week, we will be sending an update that your request is being processed.
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What if I am a member?
Please visit your membership page for all relevant information:
Folk Members:
Jazz Members:
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What if I purchased my Jazz tickets in person from the Newport Visitors Center?
Please mail all the original tickets (photocopies not accepted) to: Newport Festivals Foundation, Attn: Refunds, PO Box 650, Essex, MA 01929 and include a note letting us know if you’d like a refund or to donate your ticket funds to our foundation. If you’d like a refund, please include your legal name, email and address. The total refund amount will be issued by check. Please provide your complete name and mailing address where we can send the refund check. All requests must be postmarked by July 1, 2020. There is no in-person option. Please allow 4-6 weeks.
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Is the full amount of my ticket donation tax-deductible? Yes, it is a charitable donation and is 100% tax deductible.
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How will I be notified when the donation is processed? You will receive an acknowledgment of your ticket donation for your tax records no later than July, 2020.
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What if my credit card has expired or has been updated? If the original card used for purchase has expired or been updated, the refund will still be processed through the account used to purchase. No additional action is needed by the original purchaser. If your credit card used for purchase has been canceled or is now expired, the bank or credit card company will normally reroute the credit amount issued to the current account or card for use. Please do not send any credit card or account information via email to us. These credits should post within 30 days depending on your banking institution. Contact your bank or credit card company directly if you have any questions.
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What if I used the payment plan AFFIRM? If you have a payment plan through Affirm and have any questions go to affirm.com/help.
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What if I purchased my tickets through a third-party site?Only primary ticket purchasers are eligible for a refund. If you did not purchase your ticket directly through the official Festival Eventbrite website or through our official ticket exchange LYTE, please contact the person/party you purchased your ticket through.
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What should I do if I sold my tickets to someone else? It will be up to the seller to work out any financial arrangement with the individual(s) who purchased their tickets.
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Why aren’t you offering a “deferment” option so that the ticket(s) I purchased for 2020 can be applied to 2021? As we do not spend ticket income until after the event has occurred, any deferment would hobble our organizational operations, endanger our foundation work, and jeopardize our ability to accurately plan for a new festival in 2021. Pushing any financial liability to the future only serves as a temporary band-aid to our current situation. We’re seeking long-term solutions towards a more sustainable future.
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Doesn’t the festival have insurance or a “rainy day fund” for this kind of thing? While we have reserve funds to cover contingencies, this crisis goes well beyond any normal planning scenarios, and cancellation insurance does not cover this pandemic.
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What are the on-sale dates for the 2021 Newport Folk & Newport Jazz Festivals? Please sign up on the bottom of the homepage on the Folk or Jazz websites to receive alerts when tickets go on sale and follow us on our socials.
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Will the lineups be the same in 2021? Rest assured we have invited ALL the announced artists for each festival to join us next year. However, the final lineups may be subject to change.
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Will there be virtual events on Folk and Jazz weekends? We promise we will all commune one way or another on our festival weekends. As always, we have some secret surprises in store for you all, so stay tuned for more details.
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Can I support the Foundation by buying festival merch? Yes, we are replenishing our inventory, and will be announcing some great merch offers over the next few months. Stayed tuned to social media for the latest releases, or visit: newportffestivalsshop.squarespace.com
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For all questions regarding your donation or membership, please email info@newportfestivals.org. Please expect a reply to your outreach in the next 3-5 business days.
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For ticketing questions please email folktickets@newportfestivals.org or jazztickets@newportfestivals.org. Please expect a reply to your outreach in the next 3-5 business days.
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
With the Covid -19 pandemic continuing to evolve unpredictably and in accordance with state guidance on large gatherings, we are deeply saddened to announce that both the 2020 Newport Folk and Newport Jazz Festivals will be cancelled this summer. Together with our local leaders and Governor Gina Raimondo, we have concluded that at this time we risk too much in having a gathering of our size. “As devastating as it is to write these words, it’s balanced with a renewed sense of, well, HOPE,” says Executive Producer, Jay Sweet. “It’s Rhode Island’s motto for good reason, and it’s also the feeling our festival family, constantly exudes when we come together in good times and perhaps more importantly, in difficult times as well. This community is truly unlike any other in music, and I believe we can emerge from this adversity stronger and more connected than ever before.”
The impact of this cancellation will be felt deeply throughout the community as Newport Festivals Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)3, relies on the money it makes each year at the festivals in order to carry out its work.. Thanks to the support of our Newport Folk and Jazz fans, the foundation has been able to support music programs in our own backyard of Newport and all across America. The foundation has funded music programs for remote communities in Alaska, donated instruments to schools in Puerto Rico that were decimated after Hurricane Maria and brought jazz education to schools that have no music programs due to funding cuts.
In addition to its year round work, the foundation also created the Newport Festivals Musician Relief Fund last month to help mitigate financial hardship for musicians with over six figures in donations to date.
All ticket holders have the option of a 100% full refund if desired. Other options include 1) an opportunity to donate all or a portion of their ticket to go directly towards ensuring the festivals for 2021 while continuing the foundation’s support for artists and educators; 2) applying their refund towards a 2021 Revival Membership – a new and one-time offer we’ve created specifically to ensure the future of the festivals and provides these members with 3-day tickets to the 2021 festival (remaining memberships will be offered to the general public directly after the refund period).
For those who didn’t have tickets for this year, please consider making a tax-deductible donation (newportfestivals.org/donate). Help us continue the festivals, support year-round music education initiatives, and provide grants to artists in need.
Created by George Wein (now 94) in 1954 and 1959 respectively, The Newport Jazz and Folk Festivals are some of the longest running music festivals in history. Newport Jazz has been home to legendary performances by Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane, and Herbie Hancock while Newport Folk has witnessed, co-founder Pete Seeger, Johnny Cash and of course Bob Dylan. Widely considered two of the most treasured cultural institutions in American history, they are known for their once-in-a-lifetime collaborations and more for what’s not announced than what is last year’s folk festival alone saw surprise performances from Dolly Parton, Jim James, James Taylor and even Kermit The Frog.
“Although we won’t be able to gather at the Fort this summer, rest assured we have invited ALL the announced artists to join us next year,” says Sweet. “In the meantime, we promise we will all commune one way or another on our festival weekend. As always, we have some secret surprises in store as well, so stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks. Until then, be present, be kind, be open, be together and stay strong.”
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About the Newport Festivals Foundation:
Newport Festivals Foundation, a not for profit 501(c)3, fosters the legacy and expands the impact of its Festivals through educational initiatives that celebrate innovation while preserving the deep traditions inherent in jazz and folk music. The Foundation’s goal is to offer opportunity, inspire through exposure and facilitate the collection of resources needed for musicians to celebrate and innovate. The focus on creating unique experiences to spark engagement is accomplished through a variety of initiatives, including instrument donations and performances at schools throughout Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
Your donation to Newport Festivals Foundation will help ensure the future of our festivals and support musicians and music education programs across the country.