2020 Houston Rodeo Canceled Over Coronavirus Concerns
The remainder of the 2020 Houston Rodeo has been canceled, meaning several country performers won't get the chance to take the main stage this month.
Click2Houston and several other area news outlets report that a Houston City Council member confirmed during a 12PM news conference that the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo will be canceled. The Houston Rodeo itself later tweeted the news.
RodeoHouston was scheduled to run through March 22. Among the artists on the remaining schedule were Kane Brown, Cody Johnson, Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton and Luke Bryan. Find a full list below.
The cancelation of the rest of the rodeo comes just days after rodeo officials pledged they wouldn't cancel, citing the fact that their audience is mostly local to Houston, as opposed to SXSW in Austin, Texas, which relies on tourists. The Houston Chronicle reports that more than 100,000 people regularly attended Saturday and Sunday events at the rodeo, and as of Monday (March 9), more than 566,000 had attended this year.
A note at the Rodeo Houston website expresses sadness about having to cancel the rodeo but understanding as public health is a top priority. A ticket refund process is in the works and the website notes that they look forward to the 2021 rodeo.
The Houston Rodeo is just the latest of a growing list of festivals and events shortened, postponed or canceled due to coronavirus. SXSW, Stagecoach and Tin Pan South are on that list. The 2020 ACM Awards are still moving forward as planned, although officials say they're working closely with the CDC.
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To date, the total cases of coronavirus in the United States have reached 1,000, with 32 deaths. That's a small percentage of the 120,000 cases and 4,000 deaths worldwide. CBS news reports that one week ago there was just 126 cases in the United States.
Remaining 2020 Houston Rodeo Lineup:
March 11: Kane Brown
March 12: Cody Johnson
March 13: Lizzo
March 14: Jon Pardi
March 15: Dierks Bentley
March 16: Keith Urban
March 17: Gwen Stefani
March 18: Khalid
March 19: Chris Stapleton
March 20: Marshmello
March 21: Brad Paisley
March 22: Luke Bryan
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