2021 European Championships cancelled because of COVID-19

The effects of the Coronavirus pandemic continue to spread ever further into next year with the news that the 2021 European Brass Band Championships and all connected events scheduled to take place in May have been cancelled.

In making the announcement, the European Brass Band Association explained that the decision had to be made now as the local organisers and the competing bands would have had to make financial commitments in the coming months in order to host the event or to compete.

Said Ulf Rosenberg, EBBA president: “This will be difficult given the current restrictions put in place to limit the spread of the pandemic. It will also be impossible with the current bans on travel and cultural and public events across the world.

“It is important to underline that our first priority always is the health and safety of both the brass bands and wider communities.”

While EBBA appreciated the restrictions imposed by the different governments to combat the pandemic, they had the effect of putting the European brass band movement and wider cultural life on hold for the time being.

“We have been impressed by the preparations made by the local organisers in Malmö,” added Ulf. “They have worked hard and with great dedication over recent years to present the European Brass Band Championships in Sweden for the first time.

“The 2021 EBBC would have been a high-quality event, and we hope that we will soon be in a position to enable Europe’s finest brass bands to compete in Malmö.”

In the meantime, EBBA is exploring the possibility of developing and hosting a web-based European event for the actual weekend of 7-8 May in 2021. Further plans for this will be developed in the next few months. 

the cooperation band was the only Scottish band scheduled to take part in the European Championships, having qualified by winning the Scottish Championships in Perth in March.

The band’s Keith Johnstone confirmed his sadness at the cancellation, but admitted: “It was the correct decision in this climate.”

He added: “At least we have a decision which is the safest option but for us, as a band, we’re disappointed that we won’t be able to take part in a great event.”