People who bought a ticket for a cancelled festival that was supposed to take place this summer will have to wait "until 2022, at the earliest" for a refund, ticket company Ticketmaster said.
As big festivals, such as Graspop or Rock Werchter, this year were cancelled because of the coronavirus measures, the Belgian festival sector and Federal Minister for Consumer Affairs Nathalie Muylle set up a definitive arrangement for people who had already purchased their tickets in advance.
Several festivals stated that they would only offer refunds under special circumstances, and people would instead receive vouchers for later editions in 2021 and 2022.
"This arrangement is designed to support the festival sector. So, first of all, we will still ask you to try to accept such a voucher," Dieter Kraewinkels of Ticketmaster said on VRT radio on Tuesday morning. "People can rebook free of charge to the festivals of 2021 or 2022, reimbursements are not foreseen until 2022, at the earliest."
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People who can prove that they will be unable to attend the festival in 2021 or 2022, however, can still ask for a faster refund. Additionally, if the voucher has not been used by 2022, asking for a refund is still possible.
Unlike tickets, however, these vouchers are not registered to your name, meaning they can be requested and then be resold by people who do not want to wait until 2022 to see their money back.
If people who do not want a refund, their 2020 tickets can be transferred automatically and free of charge to the 2021 or 2020 editions, said Kraewinkels.
"Festival-goers do not have to do anything for that. If you had a combi-ticket for Rock Werchter 2020, it will automatically be converted into a combi-ticket for the edition in 2021," he said.
People who do not want to attend all days of the festival, because they do not like the line-up for example, can also opt for a voucher. "In that case, the full price of the tickets will be converted into a voucher with which they can, for example, buy day tickets for the 2021 or 2022 edition," Kraewinkels said.
These vouchers will not only be offered in exchange for tickets, but also for drink and food vouchers or camping tickets.
Vouchers can be requested via the Ticketmaster website, but people who already booked a ticket will also receive an email with more information.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
