Pink Loerie Mardi Gras & Arts Festival 2020 postponed in the wake on coronavirus shutdown

The Pink Loerie Mardi Gras & Arts Festival, which was scheduled to take place from Thursday, 30 April until Sunday, 3 May 2020 has been postponed. 

The event would have taken place at the Loeriehof Old Age Home in Knysna. The organisers of the gathering – which aims to be a platform for the local region's queer identity expression – released a statement to the press following President Cyril Ramaphosa's press briefing on Sunday night. 

In the statement, they said in part: "It is with absolute sadness that we must postpone the Pink Loerie Festival for 2020 to the 24 to 27 September. The South African President has instructed that all gatherings above 100 people are to be called off."

They added: "We were excited to deliver the Pink Loerie and LGBTQ+ revival for 2020, but we cannot be irresponsible in delivering an event that will one, not be attended by people due to coronavirus and two, place people's lives at risk."

About the new date for the event, they said: "We will be confirming the new date in 2020 from our website and pages, and this will be based on the trajectory of the coronavirus and how it affects the world and South Africa."

Read the full statement here.