The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is postponing its 2020 inductions amid concerns over Coronavirus.
The ceremony had been slated to take place May 2 in Cleveland. Ticket holders will still be able to attend once a new date is set. An email is being sent to outline the procedures for refunds.
Rock Hall CEO Greg Harris says, in the meantime, fans can connect with the past 35 years' worth of inductees through a new website.
“You can see Public Enemy’s induction and see photos of Chuck D and see his actual speech. You can see [Bruce] Springsteen inducting others – inducting Jackson Browne [and] performing – and everything is rooted on, ‘how do they connect to this museum, as opposed to their general Wikipedia biography?’”
Harris adds the museum itself will remain open. He says they will be using the American Alliance of Museums’ protocols for cleaning and keeping the building safe for visitors.
But with the news that Ohio’s schools will close for three weeks, Harris says they have canceled their education programs.
“If you’re a teacher, you can go online to a place called Rock Hall Edu and get curriculum materials. Look at it; get some things for your classroom. When you come back in April you can be the coolest teacher in the school by showing rock and roll to your kids.”
This year’s class of inductees includes Depeche Mode, The Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, The Notorious B.I.G., T. Rex, and Nine Inch Nails. While this year’s inductions have been postponed, an exhibit on this year’s class is still scheduled to open in late April and stay up until 2021.
Receiving the Ahmet Ertegun Award this year are music critic and producer Jon Landau, and executive/manager Irving Azoff.
The Rock Hall issued this statement today:
The health and safety of our fans and visitors is our highest priority. Given recent news regarding coronavirus and the urging by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine regarding large public gatherings, we have made the decision to postpone the 2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Induction Week festivities until later this year. Additional details, including new dates and ticket information, will be announced shortly and shared directly with ticket holders and supporters. Details of the rescheduled HBO live broadcast of the event will be announced at a later date as well.
This week Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson issued a Proclamation of Civil Emergency with the goal of minimizing the impact, severity and duration of COVID-19 as it spreads. “To me, the most important thing is minimizing the impact [of the coronavirus]" said the Mayor. County Executive Armond Budish also issued a State of Emergency declaration yesterday that helped inform our decision.
Meanwhile, we are maintaining normal operating hours at the Museum. Please join us in following the preventive measures recommended by the Center for Disease Control:
Wash your hands frequently with soap and water.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
If you are experiencing symptoms (fever, cough, and shortness of breath), stay home and take good care of yourself.
Thank you for your ongoing support of our mission to engage, teach, and inspire through the power of rock & roll. We look forward to welcoming you at the Museum and to honoring our 2020 Inductees with you later this year.
Earlier this year we added hand sanitizer stations on every level of our museum. We have also increased the cleaning of public and office spaces and updated our staff and visitors on recommended protocol like washing your hands and staying home if you don’t feel well.
