Wanderland 2020 postponed due to COVID-19

The Wanderland Music and Arts Festival 2020 has been postponed due to concerns over the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Organizers made the announcement on Wednesday, just before the much-awaited annual festival kicked off.

The event was supposed to happen on March 7 to 8 at the Filinvest City Events Ground in Muntinlupa City.

"In compliance with the directive of the City Government of Muntinlupa not to hold the event at this time due to the recent advisory of the World Health Organization (WHO) upgrading the risk assessment of the COVID-19 virus to the highest level, we are left with no choice but to reschedule Wanderland 2020 to a later date," organizers said in a statement.

The organizers also said it is their goal to give the public the best Wanderland experience this year, however, health and safety is always their top priority.

"It's not game over, Wanderers. We're just at a time out," they said.

Details on refunds and rescheduling dates will be announced soon, organizers added.

In February, various artists set to perform at the festival such as British singer Bruna Major and musicians Novo Amour and Sabrina Claudio have decided to cancel amid the COVID-19 threat.

Local bands Ben&Ben, IV of Spades, Joji and the Paper Kites were also scheduled to perform on stage this weekend.

The number of deaths globally in the new coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak passed 3,000 on Monday, March 2.

Mainland China had 125 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections that day, down from 202 cases a day earlier and the lowest since the authority started publishing nationwide data in January.

In the Philippines, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases remains at three. Two have recovered and one has died.

—Ma. Angelica Garcia/JCB, GMA News