In a statement regarding the cancellation of the 2020 festival, bandmates Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope stress that they are dedicated first and foremost to the safety and health of their family.
- Apr 24, 2020
AceShowbiz - Rappers the Insane Clown Posse have scrapped their annual Gathering of the Juggalos festival this summer because they "refuse" to put any of their fans at risk of contracting the coronavirus.
The "Jump Around" hitmakers had been due to stage the convention at the Nelson Ledges Quarry Park in Ohio from 5 to 8 August, but ongoing concerns regarding the COVID-19 outbreak have forced the hip-hop duo to postpone the event until next year (21).
"With the global pandemic that is now affecting us all, we are dedicated first and foremost to the safety and health of our family," bandmates Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope share in a statement.
"With tens of thousands of deaths due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we can't possibly in good conscience even consider trying to put on a Gathering during these difficult times."
"The entire music industry is at a dead halt due to the quarantine, and this, along with the uncertainty of how things will eventually pan out, has made it impossible to move forward with a 2020 GOTJ."
They add, "The bottom line is that we REFUSE to risk even ONE Juggalo life by hosting a Gathering during these troubling times."
Urging fans to stay safe and obey social distancing rules, the duo concludes, "We will endure this together as a Family, and the Gathering of the Juggalos will return in 2021, stronger, bigger, and better than ever! Whoop whoop!"
Meanwhile, the MCs have also donated more than 300 T-shirts from their merchandise stock to be turned into face masks for members of the general public and healthcare workers in need in their native Michigan.
A representative for the group delivered the boxes of gear to officials at the Detroit Sewn donation center on Wednesday (April 22), so volunteers can use the fabric to make much needed personal protective equipment, reports TMZ.
